George Kittle memorably showed 49ers exactly who he is at 2017 NFL Combine

The NFL Combine is this week, and while the San Francisco 49ers have typically not put a ton of stock in the event since Kyle Shanahan became the head coach, current Niners players still had some memorable moments at the combine.

George Kittle showed everyone the exact kind of player he was at the combine back in 2017, and looking back on it truly is a delight.

At that time, Kittle was just a clean-shaven, short-haired prospect out of Iowa hoping to be selected in the draft. He completed one part of his combine drills with a bloody nose and stuffed tissues up his nostrils as he completed the drill:

It was just a brief moment, but it showed that Kittle was not afraid to do things a little differently and was not going to let a little blood stop him from accomplishing the task at hand.

It took a little bit for Kittle to become fully comfortable being his true self at the NFL level, but once he started being goofy and letting his hair grow wild, he quickly became one of the most beloved players on the team.

Now, the 32-year-old is an unquestioned leader who has been through it all and has done it his way the whole time. He founded Tight End University and is now the best tight end in the NFL.

No one would have guessed it by looking at him with a bloody nose nearly a decade ago, but that’s the beauty of the NFL Draft. Teams can find hidden gems like Kittle in the fifth round, or like quarterback Brock Purdy, who was taken with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. 

The Niners might have to draft another tight end in this year’s draft since there is still some uncertainty about what Kittle’s status will be for next season. He tore his Achilles in the playoffs, and the optimistic prognosis is he will be ready at the start of the season, but it may be smarter to ease him back later in the year just to be safe.

The Niners also have to consider the fact that he’s age 32 and he may not always be elite. That doesn’t mean they have to think about releasing him or trading him just yet, but it may not be the worst idea to think about a successor.

If there’s a tight end in this year’s combine with a bloody nose, then maybe that is an omen that they need to draft him as a natural successor to Kittle.