San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle got a bad break when he tore his Achilles in the playoffs last season, but he shut down any thoughts of retirement in a recent interview.
Kittle appeared on a podcast recently and was asked if he had any thought of retiring after suffering such a major injury that will have him on the shelf for some time.
Kittle wasted no time with his response as he sat upon his Old Spice scooter that he has been rocking as he rests his injured leg.
"Not at all," Kittle said. "I love football, and my body will tell me when I can't play anymore."
Asked and answered.
Knowing Kittle, the response is not even slightly surprising. Watching him play the game with as much joy and silliness as he does makes one think he could play until he is age 40.
The guy is currently on a Hall of Fame pace and is the best overall tight end in the NFL right now. He is so essential to the Niners, both for what he does on the field and the role he serves as a spiritual and emotional leader for the team.
They need him back as quickly as possible, and there have been some reports that Kittle could even be back by Week 1. That would be remarkable, and potentially even foolhardy, considering San Francisco will face off against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia in Week 1.
Maybe waiting for the 49ers to return to the United States would be prudent as they work Kittle back into action. The last thing they want is to rush him back too soon and have him injure himself further.
Even if Kittle came back in Week 5 or something like that, it would be remarkable given the severity of the injury, so the fact there is even a chance he could be back by Week 1 speaks to how much he still loves the game and how badly he wants to be out there with his teammates.
Still, Kittle's injury and age have to make the Niners think about what's next after Kittle, so maybe they could think about a succession plan in the NFL Draft in April.
One thing is for sure, though: Kittle does not plan on hanging it up any time soon, so let's hope he comes back as soon as possible and keeps on being his usual, dominant self.