49ers tight end George Kittle has never been short on toughness. He played through a slew of injuries during his rookie season in 2017, and has played most of this year with knee and ankle ailments that he suffered in Week 9 that forced him to miss two games.
It turns out Kittle has also been playing through a significant shoulder injury the last two seasons. Kittle joined Barstool Sports’ podcast, ‘Pardon My Take’ and discussed the torn labrum he’s been dealing with for two seasons.
“So, I dislocated my shoulder last year,” Kittle said when addressing the gray sleeve he wears on his right arm. “And my labrum’s completely torn so I don’t get surgery on it. So this basically helps me so it doesn’t hurt all the time.”
Anything that tears as a result of a dislocated shoulder sounds cripplingly painful, but Kittle has managed to play through it and become the best tight end in the league. Pro Football Focus named him the NFL’s best player this year, one season after he set the NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end.
Will Kittle get the surgery this offseason?
“No chance,” he said. “Can’t miss those workout days, man.”
This is the type of physical toughness that sets Kittle apart and allows him to become such a force after the catch.
While the injury hasn’t seemed to slow him down at all on the field, it’s remarkable to think of what a 100 percent healthy Kittle
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