While the 49ers dealt with speculation surrounding Jimmy Garoppolo’s future, George Kittle didn’t hesitate to back up his embattled quarterback.
San Francisco 49ers All-Pro tight end George Kittle made it plainly known which side of the fence he’s on when it comes to discussing his team’s starting quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo.
Appearing on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, Kittle continued to endorse Jimmy G despite plenty of speculation and rumors the Niners were planning to move on from him this offseason.
GMFB’s Peter Schrager pointed that out to Kittle, also mentioning the conflicting reports.
“In my opinion, that’s about all it is. It’s talk, it’s chatter,” Kittle said when asked to address the fanbase’s speculation on Garoppolo. “‘The Niners aren’t in the playoffs this year, so let’s look at the biggest headlines. And what else is there to talk about except for our handsome quarterback, Jimmy G?'”
"I'm happy to have him as my QB and I know we can win with him." -- @gkittle46 on @49ers QB @JimmyG_10. pic.twitter.com/HEqcEvxxyQ
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) February 2, 2021
Early last year, Kittle defended Garoppolo to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith when the First Take host questioned why Garoppolo wasn’t the big name in San Francisco.
Now, Kittle is continuing to back his signal-caller despite all that speculation surfacing during the offseason.
“Jimmy is a hell of a quarterback,” Kittle added. “He took us to a Super Bowl last year. Unfortunately, some injuries prohibited us this year. I know they prohibited him from performing at his best. I still believe in Jimmy G. I think he’s an incredible quarterback. I think he can lead us to another Super Bowl, and I think we can win a Super Bowl with him.”
Two high-ankle sprains ultimately limited Garoppolo to just six games in 2020, and he finished the last half of the year on injured reserve.
When combined with his 2018 ACL tear suffered early that season, Garoppolo has somewhat earned the reputation of being injury-prone, calling into question whether or not it’s worth it for the 49ers to dish out $26.6 million to their quarterback this upcoming year. If cut or traded, the Niners would free up $24.1 million in much-needed cap space.
According to Kittle, however, that won’t be a move San Francisco needs to make.
While the 49ers have never shied away from trying to make upgrades wherever possible, it seems clear George Kittle won’t be overly thrilled if the team elects to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason.
And that’ll certainly give the pro-Jimmy G crowd some much-needed ammunition this offseason.