With the San Francisco 49ers likely to play two international games in 2026, tight end George Kittle reacted to that news in a classic way on social media. His reaction is probably not too dissimilar to what a lot of Niners fans are thinking.
When it was announced that San Francisco would be playing the first-ever NFL game in Australia, Kittle responded on social media with a line connecting Australia to California on a world map with the caption, "Woof," and a picture of famed Australian Steve Irwin with two thumbs up.
Then, when it was reported that the Niners are likely to play a game in Mexico City as well, the third time they will have played there, he responded again on social media with the caption, "Another one."
To put a cherry on top, Kittle also posted a photoshopped picture of him wearing a Mexican wrestling mask while holding a crocodile with the caption, "See you guys in 3 countries this year."
It sure is a lot of travel for the Niners, and given their aged core of veterans and existing propensity for injuries, fans can be forgiven for not being all that thrilled about the team having to traverse the globe in 2026.
The elctrical substation wouldn't even have to be blamed if San Francisco has a lot of injuries next season. Instead, jet lag or maybe some poisonous spiders could be the ruin of the 2026 Niners as something seemingly always has to go wrong.
In a bit of good news, one 49ers insider has said that Kittle could actually be back in time for Week 1 in Australia, which would be remarkable since a torn Achilles usually takes a lot longer to bounce back from.
Yet, knowing Kittle, he is going to do absolutely everything in his power to be back for Week 1. He's an absolute competitor and has to be itching to get back at it after his 2025 season ended with him having to leave the field on a cart in Philadelphia.
At the same time, he needs to be smart. If he is not at 100-percent strength or does not have full confidence ahead of the game in Australia, then there is no need for him to try and force the issue and potentially injure himself further.
The Niners will have to get luckier with injuries in 2026 if they want to have success, but their travel schedule is likely not going to help with that.
At least Kittle was able to have a little fun with it.