George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers.
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has coached some of the best in the business, but when he looks at San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, he ranks above them.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Belichick praised the player Kittle has become ahead of their Sunday matchup against the Niners.
“Kittle is a great player,” Belichick said. “He does everything well. I’d put him right at the top of the league there, period. His ability to run, catch, get open, after the catch, block, he does everything at a high level. He’s as good as anybody that I’ve coached or as good as anybody that we’ve played against.”
Why Kittle Can ‘Kill you’
Belichick’s praise is notable because he was the coach of four-time All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski from 2010 to 2018. Gronk is one of, if not the most, elite tight ends to ever play the game. He has earned five Pro Bowls and three Super Bowl rings and landed a spot on the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
As for Kittle, he owns the record for most receiving yards by a tight end in his first three NFL seasons with 2,945. And the record for most receiving yards by a tight end in a season with 1,377.
While the 49ers have struggled this season, Belichick knows what he’s up against on Sunday when it comes to Kittle.
“If you pay too much attention to him, he creates opportunities for some of their other outstanding players,” Belichick said. “And if you don’t pay enough attention to him, then he can kill you. So he’s in a great system, he’s a great player. I don’t think there’s a tight end in the league, and we’ve seen a lot of good ones and had a lot of good ones, but I don’t think there’s anybody in the league that does everything overall as well as he does. He just really doesn’t have any weak points at all. Just outstanding at every phase of the game.”
So far this season, Kittle has reeled in 30 catches for 380 yards and two touchdowns. He currently ranks second in receptions and yards in the league among all tight ends, even after being absent from two games.
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Kittle Is Fired Up
Kittle responded to Belichick’s praise saying he appreciated the comments made by someone who has been so successful.
“It’s incredible, it is,” Kittle said on the latest episode of “Candlestick Chronicles.” “I’ve been watching coach Belichick coach for a long time, since I was a little kid. To get that comment from him, I respect him a lot. Someone like him who’s had the success he’s had and who’s been able to sustain it for as long as he has and has seen players come and go and has seen players who he thinks are great players — I just appreciate those comments.”
Sunday marks Kittle’s first time playing against the Patriots in his four-year career.
“All it does is it just fires me up to play against him for the first time in my career this weekend,” Kittle said. “Now I’m just ready to go to Boston.”
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