George Kittle facts for kids
.jpg)
Kittle in 2019
|
|||||||
| No. 85 – San Francisco 49ers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | October 9, 1993 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Norman (Norman, Oklahoma) | ||||||
| College: | Iowa (2012–2016) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2017 / Round: 5 / Pick: 146 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
George Krieger Kittle, born on October 9, 1993, is a professional American football player. He plays as a tight end for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). Kittle played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes. The 49ers chose him in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft. He has been selected for the Pro Bowl six times. He was also named a first-team All-Pro in 2019 and 2023.
Contents
George Kittle's Early Life
George Kittle was born in Madison, Wisconsin. His family moved to Iowa in 2000. He went to high schools in Iowa City, Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Norman, Oklahoma. He decided to play college football at the University of Iowa.
His father, Bruce Kittle, was also a football player at Iowa. He was a co-captain of the 1982 Rose Bowl team. George's mother, Jan Krieger, is in the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union Hall of Fame. She played softball and basketball in college.
College Football Career
Kittle played for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2012 to 2016. In his first year, he had a small role on the team. He made his first college reception for 47 yards. Overall, he caught five passes for 108 yards that season.
In 2014, Kittle's role was still limited. He had only one catch for 25 yards during the entire season.
Expanding His Role in College
Kittle's playing time grew in the 2015 season. He scored his first college touchdown on a 43-yard catch. This happened on September 26, 2015, against North Texas. For the 2015 season, Kittle caught 20 passes for 290 yards. He also scored six touchdowns. His six touchdowns were among the best in the Big Ten Conference.
As a senior in 2016, Kittle was a key player. He had his best game against North Dakota State. In that game, he caught five passes for 110 yards. During his senior year, he had 22 catches for 314 yards and four touchdowns. Throughout his college career, Kittle caught 48 passes for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns.
College Statistics
| Season | Team | GP | Receiving | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2012 | Iowa | 0 |  Redshirt |
|||
| 2013 | Iowa | 3 | 5 | 108 | 21.6 | 0 |
| 2014 | Iowa | 3 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 0 |
| 2015 | Iowa | 10 | 20 | 290 | 14.5 | 6 |
| 2016 | Iowa | 9 | 22 | 314 | 14.3 | 4 |
| Career | 25 | 48 | 737 | 15.4 | 10 | |
George Kittle's NFL Career
Before the NFL draft, George Kittle was seen as a top tight end. He was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. This is where players show off their skills to NFL teams. Kittle performed well in many drills. Experts thought he would be picked in the third or fourth round of the draft.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+3⁄4 in (1.92 m) |
247 lb (112 kg) |
33+1⁄8 in (0.84 m) |
9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) |
4.52 s | 1.51 s | 2.65 s | 4.55 s | 7.00 s | 38.5 in (0.98 m) |
11 ft 0 in (3.35 m) |
18 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Starting with the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers picked Kittle in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft. He signed a four-year contract with the team. Kittle became the starting tight end for the 49ers.
He played his first NFL game against the Carolina Panthers. He caught five passes for 27 yards. On October 8, 2017, Kittle scored his first NFL touchdown. He finished his first season with 43 catches for 515 yards and two touchdowns. He played in 15 games.
Breaking Records in 2018
In 2018, Kittle had a fantastic season. He caught an 82-yard touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Chargers. In Week 14, he set a 49ers record for receiving yards by a tight end with 210 yards. All of these yards came in the first half! He also became the first 49ers tight end to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
In the last game of the season, Kittle broke the NFL record for most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season. He finished with 1,377 yards. He was chosen for his first Pro Bowl that year. Other players ranked him 29th among the top 100 NFL players in 2019.
2019 Season and Super Bowl LIV
.jpg)
Kittle started the 2019 season strong. He earned high praise from football experts. He scored his first touchdown of the season in a big win against the Cleveland Browns. He also had a game with over 100 receiving yards against the Rams.
Later in the season, Kittle suffered a knee injury. He missed two games because of it. When he returned, he had a great game against the Green Bay Packers. He caught six passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. In a close game against the New Orleans Saints, Kittle made a crucial 39-yard catch. This play helped the 49ers win the game. He was named to his second Pro Bowl. Kittle was also chosen as a First Team All-Pro for his amazing 2019 season.
The 49ers reached Super Bowl LIV that year. Kittle caught four passes for 36 yards in the game. However, the 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Kittle was ranked 7th among the top 100 NFL players in 2020.
2020 Season and Injuries
On August 13, 2020, Kittle signed a big five-year, $75 million contract. This made him the highest-paid tight end in the league at the time. He missed some games early in the season due to a knee injury. When he returned, he had a huge game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He gained 183 receiving yards and scored a touchdown.
Later in the season, Kittle was placed on injured reserve because of a broken bone in his foot. He returned in December. Despite injuries, Kittle finished the 2020 season with 48 catches for 634 yards and two touchdowns in eight games. He was ranked 50th among the top 100 NFL players in 2021.
2021 Season and Playoff Run
Kittle was placed on injured reserve again in October 2021 due to a calf injury. He returned in November. In his first game back, he caught six passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. He had an incredible game in Week 13 against the Seattle Seahawks. He caught nine passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 14, he had 13 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. This earned him the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award.
Overall, Kittle finished the 2021 season with 71 catches for 910 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games. He earned his third Pro Bowl nomination. In the playoffs, Kittle had seven catches for 108 yards. He scored his first career playoff touchdown. The 49ers lost to the Rams in the NFC Championship game. Kittle was ranked 22nd among the top 100 NFL players in 2022.
2022 Season: Career High Touchdowns
In the 2022 season, Kittle set a new personal best for touchdowns. He scored eleven touchdowns, even though he missed the first two weeks with a groin injury. The 49ers used three different starting quarterbacks that season. Kittle seemed to connect very well with the third quarterback, Brock Purdy. He scored two touchdowns in back-to-back games.
He finished the 2022 season with 60 catches for 765 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was tied for third in the NFL for receiving touchdowns. Kittle received his fourth Pro Bowl nomination. This tied a 49ers team record for most Pro Bowl selections by a tight end. He was ranked 19th among the top 100 NFL players in 2023.
2023 Season: More Records and All-Pro Honors
In Week 2 of the 2023 season, Kittle reached 400 career receptions in just 84 games. This was the fastest any 49ers player had reached 400 catches. It was also the fourth-fastest in NFL history. In Week 5, he scored three receiving touchdowns in a big win over the Dallas Cowboys.
He was selected for his fifth career Pro Bowl. This broke the 49ers team record for most Pro Bowl selections by a tight end. He also earned first-team All-Pro honors for the second time. Kittle finished the 2023 season with 65 catches for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns. He scored a touchdown in the 49ers' playoff win against the Packers. In Super Bowl LVIII, he suffered a shoulder injury. The 49ers lost to the Chiefs in that game. Kittle was ranked 14th among the top 100 NFL players in 2024.
2024 Season and Contract Extension
In Week 6 of the 2024 season, Kittle scored two touchdowns in a win against the Seahawks. In Week 8, he had six catches for 128 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys. In Week 14, he gained 151 yards on six catches against the Bears. He finished the 2024 season with 78 catches for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns. He earned his sixth Pro Bowl honor.
On April 29, 2025, Kittle and the 49ers agreed to a new four-year contract. This deal made him the highest-paid tight end in the league again.
George Kittle's NFL Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2017 | SF | 15 | 7 | 43 | 515 | 12.0 | 44 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | SF | 16 | 16 | 88 | 1,377 | 15.6 | 85T | 5 | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | SF | 14 | 14 | 85 | 1,053 | 12.4 | 61T | 5 | 5 | 22 | 4.4 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | SF | 8 | 8 | 48 | 634 | 13.2 | 44T | 2 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | SF | 14 | 14 | 71 | 910 | 12.8 | 48 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2022 | SF | 15 | 15 | 60 | 765 | 12.8 | 54T | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023 | SF | 16 | 16 | 65 | 1,020 | 15.7 | 66T | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | SF | 15 | 15 | 78 | 1,106 | 14.2 | 43 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 113 | 105 | 538 | 7,380 | 13.7 | 85T | 45 | 12 | 71 | 5.9 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 2 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2019 | SF | 3 | 3 | 8 | 71 | 8.9 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | SF | 3 | 3 | 7 | 108 | 15.4 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | SF | 3 | 3 | 10 | 164 | 16.4 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | SF | 3 | 3 | 8 | 112 | 14.0 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 12 | 12 | 33 | 455 | 13.8 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
NFL Records Held by George Kittle
Regular Season Records
- Most receiving yards in a half by a tight end: 210 yards.
- First tight end to lead the league in yards after catch: 870 yards.
- Most receiving yards in his first three seasons by a tight end: 2,945 yards.
- First tight end to have at least 150 receiving yards and one touchdown in two games in a row.
San Francisco 49ers Team Records
- Most receiving yards in a season by a tight end: 1,377 yards.
- Most receiving yards in a game by a tight end: 210 yards.
- Most receptions in a season by a tight end: 88 catches.
- First tight end to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
- Fastest to reach 400 career receptions: 84 games.
- Most career Pro Bowl selections by a tight end: 6.
- Most seasons with 1,000+ receiving yards by a tight end: 4.
George Kittle's Personal Life
George Kittle married Claire Till on April 9, 2019. They met at the University of Iowa, where Claire played basketball. Kittle has said he has been a big fan of the Chicago Bears football team since he was a kid.
Kittle's sister, Emma, is married to Cody Ponce.
George Kittle is also a big fan of professional wrestling. He often uses a wrestling move called "Cero Miedo" (which means "No Fear" in Spanish) after he makes a first down. When the 49ers played in Mexico City in 2022, Kittle received a special 49ers-themed lucha mask from a wrestler.
See also
In Spanish: George Kittle para niños
