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George Kittle has nothing but love for the quarterbacks currently on the 49ers’ roster.
During a recent run-in with TMZ, the tight end responded to questions about rookie Trey Lance and veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, who has likely played his last game in a San Francisco uniform. Although Kittle believes Lance — last year’s No. 3 overall pick — is capable of starting, he just wants to catch passes from whoever is under center.
“I play tight end, and whoever’s throwing me the football, I can’t wait to catch footballs from them, baby,” Kittle said.
The three-time Pro Bowler mainly caught passes from Garoppolo this past season, including during last month’s NFC Championship, when the 49ers fell to the now-Super Bowl champion Rams. Kittle lauded Garoppolo to TMZ and hyped up the 30-year-old’s resume.
“Love Jimmy G. Fantastic quarterback. Took us to two NFC championships,” Kittle said, referencing San Francisco’s Super Bowl berth in 2020.
Although the 49ers have yet to make an official move involving Garoppolo, when asked about future possibilities — the quarterback staying in the Bay Area, specifically — Kittle replied: “Whatever’s best for the football team, man. Whatever [head coach] Kyle Shanahan and [general manager] John Lynch decide, it’s gonna be great.”
Lynch and Shanahan have vowed to communicate with Garoppolo when it comes to his future, a sentiment the quarterback recently echoed during a press conference.
“I was talking to John yesterday about finding the right destination and whatever the future holds, just doing it the right way,” Garoppolo said, according to ESPN. “I’ve got a long career ahead of me. I’m excited about it. I’m excited about the opportunities to come. I just want to go to a place where they want to win. That’s really what I’m in this game for. I’m here to play football, win football games and as long as I’ve got that and good people around me, I think the rest will take care of itself.”
Originally selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the 49ers acquired Garoppolo in October 2017. In February 2018, the team signed him to a five-year contract worth $137.5 million.
Should the 49ers decide to move on from Garoppolo, they would save $25.5 million against the 2022 salary cap.
The new league year begins on March 16.
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