San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is three things: an all-time great player, a forever legend in the Bay Arena, and one of the toughest players in the NFL.
So when he went down on Sunday in the opening round of the playoffs in Philadelphia against the Eagles, everyone knew it was serious. Kittle couldn’t get off the ground and needed to be carted off the field. It wasn’t too long after that that he was announced not only out for the game but for the season with a torn Achilles, another major blow to a Niners team that has dealt with injuries every week of the season.
While that would usually be the end of the story until the coaches spoke up or we saw him next week in Seattle on the sidelines cheering on his team, it wasn’t the final chapter of Kittle in Philly.
The Athletic’s senior NFL insider, Dianna Russini, posted on social media that she witnessed an employee of the Niners go into the locker room with what appeared to be some sort of alcohol.
Hours after the game, when the 49ers had already walked off victorious to eliminate the reigning Super Bowl champions on their home turf, she reported the whole story.
Well, as much as she could.
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It was Patron tequila. Kittle requested the bottle himself, and the San Francisco 49ers owner obliged, providing him with one from his own private suite. And by the time the team had cleared out of Lincoln Financial Field on their way home to the Bay, that bottle was empty.
It has been that type of year for San Francisco, which has battled through every shortcoming, accident, and misfortune only to somehow come out of it stronger, having fun along the way. Personifying their iconic tight end, they might go down, but with a little bit of liquid courage, they’re always throwing themselves back into the fight.
The Niners will attempt to continue without Kittle next Saturday, as they play on a short week against the fully rested Seattle Seahawks in a rematch of Week 18. The Chicago Bears will host the other remaining NFC West team, the Los Angeles Rams, in the other NFC semifinal matchup.
