The NFC West landscape underwent a massive shift following the Los Angeles Rams‘ blockbuster acquisition of defensive end Myles Garrett, but San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle isn’t backing down.
Kittle embraced the reality of facing the former Defensive Player of the Year twice a year during a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.
“Myles is a fantastic player. He’s a Defensive MVP for a reason, broke the sack record for a reason,” Kittle said. “Like, he’s an amazing football player. So it just kind of changes up how you have to play against the Rams.”
Kittle noted that Garrett will likely demand the same level of game-planning anxiety that retired Rams legend Aaron Donald once caused the 49ers’ coaching staff. He recalled how coaches would lose sleep designing protections just to ensure “four hands on him at all times.” Facing Garrett presents a similar gauntlet, but it’s an assignment the tight end welcomes.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge,” Kittle said. “Like I said, he’s incredible. And all right, we got incredible players, too, and I love a great challenge. It’s going to be really fun.”
Garrett and Kittle have history, and the two are no strangers to squaring off on the gridiron. During a Week 13 matchup last season, the two shared a hilarious mid-game interaction when Kittle playfully begged the edge rusher not to have five sacks and break the single-season record. The lighthearted plea apparently worked, as Garrett finished with just one sack on the day.
Now that they are official division rivals, Kittle knows his responsibilities at the line of scrimmage will multiply, whether he’s staying in to block or helping out his tackles.
“It could be a chip. It could be a one-on-one pass pro,” Kittle said of handling Garrett in the future. “Whatever it is, man. It’s football. I love it. I can’t wait.”
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