Chiefs Veteran Comes to the Rescue of George Kittle After Mic’d Up Video Ended Up Getting Trolled

The San Francisco 49er’s loss against the Chiefs hasn’t been well received by fans and players alike. Offensive linemen have begun pointing fingers at each other, and it seems have found a scapegoat in George Kittle, who is now being criticized for lacking a winning mindset.

A video surfaced on social media where Kittle was seen mocking and joking around during a crucial turning point in the match. The 49ers Tight End pushed the Chiefs defender George Karlaftis, but instead of focusing on the play, he started to taunt the Chief, unaware that McAffrey had fumbled behind him the ball at the scrimmage. Karlaftis, who was paying attention promptly jumped on the ball and recovered the fumble. If Kittle had been attentive, he could have recovered the ball before the opposing team.

However, former Chiefs veteran and Super Bowl-winning OT Mitchell Schwartz came to the aid of the tight end, expressing that Kittle shouldn’t be blamed for the situation. His perspective sheds light on the context of Kittle’s actions, suggesting that the situation wasn’t solely the Tight Ends responsibility. Schwartz asserted that Kittle did his job by blocking Karlaftis twice in a few seconds, effectively taking him away from the scrimmage. He emphasized that many other players from both the Chiefs and the 49ers were casually walking around during that moment. He said,

“It’s crazy that people are bashing Kittle for this. He accelerates to block Karlaftis a second time and gets him 4 yards past the numbers. Karlaftis shuts it down as if the play is over. Trent W, Juszczyk, C Jones all were watching CMC run and had stopped and were walking too.” 

Fans had a mixed reaction to Schwartz’s assessment. While many believe Kittle was not at fault because he executed his blocking responsibilities job and couldn’t have known that the ball had been fumbled, others argued that the camera angles don’t present him in the best of lights, making it unclear if he was trolling or not. However, a significant number of fans felt that players should play to the whistle. They also pointed out that Kittle has a tendency to engage in banter and had he been focused, he could have potentially recovered the ball. Fans said,

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McCaffrey fumbled the ball in the first quarter with over twelve minutes remaining in the play. Positioned just 30 yards from the endzone, Purdy handed the ball to Christian. However, as he attempted to gain yardage, he was tackled by multiple Chiefs players, losing the ball before hitting the ground. Karlaftis seized the opportunity to recover the ball and gave his team possession. Although Kansas City didn’t capitalize directly on the recovery, they successfully thwarted the 49ers scoring opportunity, ultimately shifting the momentum of the game.

George Kittle Compartmentalizes Super Bowl Loss

George Kittle is unlikely to forget the day of the Super Bowl anytime soon, particularly given the recent Mic’d-up footage from the game. He was observed joking around with Chiefs’ defensive players and didn’t exactly cover himself in glory, managing only two receptions for four yards throughout the game.

Despite the loss at the grandest stage, Kittle is not carrying the burden of loss with him. He asserted that loss is a part of life, it’s understandable to feel the loss but you have to learn from it and then move on with your life. It is not healthy to cling to the loss. He said,

“I would say it takes time [to process]. I would say it’s OK to be upset, or disappointed. It’s totally fine. You just don’t want to let that affect other aspects of your life, or let that affect the rest of your year by any means. It takes time to accept it, absorb it. And then, you will find a way to channel it, use it, or just be able to flush it and be able to move on and attack the next stage.”

The 49ers still have at least another two seasons before their key players will be up for contract extensions. Most of their key players will be back next season, but there will be a lot of work to do in the off-season. Teams usually fall off after reaching the Super Bowl because the loss stays on the mind and brings unnecessary expectations. Football is a challenging sport and it’s hard to make it to the grandest stage in consecutive seasons.

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