Getty Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle of the 49ers.
We know this for the week of April 25, also known as NFL Draft week: The San Francisco 49ers aren’t planning to take a quarterback at No. 61 overall, not with Trey Lance on board.
But what we don’t know: Which quarterback All-Pro tight end George Kittle would rather catch passes from this upcoming season between the 2021 third round pick or the veteran Jimmy Garoppolo — who has managed to stay on the 49ers’ roster four days before the draft.
Kittle finally addressed the 49ers‘ quarterback room and who he would rather see during his appearance on Brandon Marshall’s “I Am Athlete” podcast released on Monday.
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Who Does Kittle Want?
Kittle didn’t mention a name. He even let out a laugh and nearly spilled his tea when Marshall asked him the burning question.
But “The People’s Tight End” shared who and what he hopes to see behind center and operating the 49ers‘ offense.
“I want whoever’s going to be the better quarterback this season,” Kittle said to Marshall and Mohamed Sanu, who was also a guest on the podcast. “And it is a business at the end of the day. We’re just monetary values, really, like cogs in the machine.”
Kittle is additionally split on both signal-callers.
“I’m kind of 50-50, right in the middle, honestly,” Kittle said. “Jimmy, he’s a fantastic leader. We almost won a Super Bowl. We’ve been to the NFC Championship twice in three seasons. And then you look at Trey — I think Trey’s got one of the highest ceilings I’ve ever seen before. Some of the things you see him do on the football field, you’re like, ‘Holy cow. I can’t wait until he throws me passes.'”
Kittle even gave the second-year quarterback this telling comparison: He sees Pro Bowl talent Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills as a similar signal-caller.
“Josh Allen is an established quarterback,” Kittle shared. “Trey has to prove that. He has to do it on the football field. But I think he can move the chains with his feet. He’s a big body. He can take hits. He wants to make plays. He’s got a cannon of an arm. It’s crazy. He can roll out to the right on the sideline and throw it diagonally, like 50 yards on a line. There’s not a lot of people that can do that stuff.”
Where Kittle Praises Garoppolo
As the 49ers’ quarterback spot became the most scrutinized position throughout the 2021 season, and as talks of Garoppolo getting traded grew, Kittle saw how composed Jimmy G was throughout the whole ordeal — even impressing him.
“I feel like 80 percent of the people would have (said), ‘Hey, screw you guys. I’m out. Or trade me or you’re not going to get my best effort'” Kittle described. “I’ve always had a lot of respect for Jimmy G. He’s been the same guy since day one when we met him and traded for him from New England. He came into a brand new locker room and we were not good. We were 0-7 and were not very good. He came in and he won five straight. He’s been the exact same dude from the start, which I’ve really appreciated. You need guys like that who are consistent.”
Kittle then dove into why Garoppolo gets a bad rep from fans and pundits.
“I think he gets a bad rep because he’s a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers,” Kittle said. “You’ve had Joe Montana, Steve Young, Colin Kaepernick, you’ve had some studs who have played the quarterback position so there’s like this huge spotlight on him. I think the spotlight on the San Francisco 49ers quarterback is a lot different compared to even like the Chargers. I mean (Justin) Herbert, he’s a fantastic quarterback. I just think the quarterback position is the most critiqued position.”
But where is his trust level with the decision his head coach Kyle Shanahan will make when the time comes to make a decision in the QB room?
“I do trust Kyle Shanahan,” Kittle said. “I think he’s going to pick the best quarterback. I don’t have a preference. I don’t. I think I like them both. They’re both good guys. They both bring different things to the table. It’s just what do you want to play with?”