News Article
Published
Oct 17, 2026 at 05:29 PM EDT
The San Francisco 49ers have dealt with several challenges this season, but George Kittle recently revealed a personal battle that affected him before a divisional matchup.
The tight end opened up about feeling far from his best while trying to remain available for his team.
...
According to Matt Lively on X: "George Kittle said he felt like a shell of himself against the Seahawks in week five after vomiting before the game and losing 10 pounds"
Kittle did not hide how difficult the experience was. When asked how he felt during the contest, the veteran tight end responded, "Terrible, like a shell of myself. Horrible, not a lot of juice, but when you have enough caffeine in you, you can definitely play football."
The interviewer then asked whether he had been dealing with the flu.
"I don't know, I was sick for like a while, and I feel like I just got over it today, so it's been a grind, but we're past it," Kittle said.
The tight end was relieved that San Francisco played on Monday night rather than Thursday. The additional recovery time gave him a better opportunity to regain his strength before returning to normal activities.
Kittle revealed that he had lost around 10 pounds while battling the illness. When asked whether he had regained the weight, he offered a cautiously positive update.
"Oh, we're close to it, so enough," Kittle said. "But yeah, that was a grinder. But like I said, we made it through it."
He also credited San Francisco's medical staff for helping him stay available.
"Shout out to the training room, they gave me all the things I needed to keep me on a football field," Kittle added.
Despite feeling unwell, Kittle suited up against Seattle. He finished with five catches for 24 yards in San Francisco's 32-29 victory, which kept the 49ers undefeated at 5-0.