San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is one of the most beloved personalities in the NFL. Known for his outlandish on-field antics and his sheer competitiveness, it's hard to find a player around the NFl with negative things to say about him.
In one of his latest charming sound bites, however, he may have accidentally sent a stray jab in the direction of former teammate, Deebo Samuel.
When speaking about his current teammate, Mike Evans, Kittle had this to say about the newcomer:
"I pinch myself every day. This is like the first legit veteran WR I've had on my roster since Emmanuel Sanders in 2019. He's a Hall of Famer... he takes ball seriously."
The sentiment was intended for the purpose of showering the former Buccaneer with praise, but Kittle failed to recognize that he had played with an extremely talented veteran wide receiver just two years prior.
It's clear Mike Evans has something Deebo Samuel lacked
Once thought of as an elite pass catcher after a stellar 2021 campaign, Deebo Samuel embarked on a steep decline in the seasons that followed.
His efficiency through the air took a lethal hit as coach Kyle Shanahan relied on him more in the run game. It culminated in a dismal 2024 season, where he gained just 806 yards from scrimmage.
During that season, he pulled no punches when responding to critics and used social media as an outlet to air out his frustrations about his usage. The antics reached their peak when he requested a trade in February of 2025. He was then dealt to the Washington Commanders the following month.
It's clear that, with Kittle's comments, he is thankful the Niners have replaced drama with steadiness at the wide receiver position. At age 32, Evans is serving as the adult in the room, and Kittle's "takes ball seriously" quip could be evidence of that.
Deebo played a total of six full seasons in San Francisco before skipping town. By the time he left, he was 28 years old. The experience was surely enough to warrant him the title of "veteran," but a lack of production in his later years, combined with a rookie-like level of maturity, led to him missing out on the Kittle-appointed title, "legit veteran."
Though he didn't intend his comments to come off the way they did, he unintentionally said what many Niners fans were already thinking: Evans is simply on another level than Samuel. As much as the latter may put himself on the same pedestal, Evans' pedigree speaks for itself. No drama. No antics. Just numbers.
As it should be.
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