George Kittle underwent massive change after Super Bowl loss

Oct 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) looks on before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle underwent a major change after his team lost the Super Bowl, and not necessarily by choice.

In a recent appearance on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, Kittle revealed that he lost almost 30 pounds following the Super Bowl. The tight end was unable to do his normal lifting and workout routines because he was rehabbing multiple injuries, including a core muscle problem that required surgery.

“I couldn’t lift,” Kittle admitted, via Will Simonds of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I couldn’t do any upper body because of my shoulder and my rib, and I couldn’t do lower [body] because of my core surgery. … I didn’t lift from the Super Bowl until like almost mid-March.”

Kittle said he is close to 100 percent now, though he is still looking to add roughly 10 more pounds to get himself back into what he considers peak playing shape.

After a few down years, Kittle rebounded in 2023, tallying 1,020 receiving yards and six touchdown catches. Despite a pretty brutal moment in the Super Bowl loss, he remains a vital part of San Francisco’s offense, and it bodes well for them if he is much healthier than he was last year.