There's that meme out there from Avengers, and the San Francisco 49ers should consider filling one out where it says, "did you win?" "Yes."
"What did it cost you?"
"George Kittle."
Kittle suffered a brutal torn Achilles during the Niners' shocking Wild Card upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. As bad as that news is, knowing Kittle won't set foot on the field for however long San Francisco remains in the postseason, it's even worse knowing the entirety of his 2026 campaign is in serious doubt as he recovers.
Good thing the All-Pro veteran has a great sense of humor.
According to both The Athletic's Dianna Russini and the SF Standard's David Lombardi, apparently, Kittle's go-to reaction after heading to the locker room post injury was to snag a bottle of tequila:
Here’s what I found out:
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 12, 2026
*It was Patron tequila
*The bottle was sent from the owner from his suite to Kittle after he requested it
*That bottle is now empty https://t.co/QZkdLAXXD3
After the Achilles tear, Jed York came into the 49ers locker room and asked George Kittle if there’s anything he could get him. Within minutes, that bottle of tequila was in the 49ers’ locker room.
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) January 12, 2026
A couple hours later, victory in Philadelphia was secured. A new piece of 49ers…
That sounds very Kittle-ish, yes. And it can be added as a small nugget to franchise lore.
But it's not the only unique action Kittle took after suffering his horrendous injury.
George Kittle told Kyle Juszczyk the right words at halftime
Several Niners went and visited Kittle in the locker room after the second quarter concluded, including fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
According to the perennial Pro Bowler, Kittle appeared to be in good spirits and had a quirky response when asked how he was doing:
Kyle Juszczyk on George Kittle:
— KNBR (@KNBR) January 12, 2026
"I came in at halftime and he was smiling and he said 'I'm not dead yet man. I'll be back. Go win it.'" pic.twitter.com/jY7aJwe3Bt
"I'm not dead yet, man," Kittle told Juszczyk. "I'll be back. Go win it."
Juszczyk and the rest of San Francisco's roster did just that, getting hot in the fourth quarter and engineering two key touchdown-scoring drives that ultimately proved to be the difference.
Instead of Kittle's injury being a body blow to the 49ers' dwindling chances of advancing, apparently Juszczyk and the others used it as a rallying cry.
Perhaps that can serve as motivation for the Niners in the divisional round against the Seattle Seahawks, too, and potentially beyond.