© Stan Szeto | 2021 Jul 28
George Kittle has always been in Jimmy Garoppolo’s corner, and that’s unlikely to change.
Kittle has been a vocal supporter of Garoppolo in both the good and bad times, especially last offseason when he praised Jimmy’s leadership in the wake of criticism over his postseason play. The loyalty makes sense, Kittle’s career essentially took off when Garoppolo took over, the tight end needing just competent quarterback play to put up All-Pro numbers.
That doesn’t mean that Kittle is above praising Trey Lance as well, the newcomer who seems to be turning heads every time he steps on the practice field. Kittle joined Papa & Lund on Wednesday and talked about what he’s seen from the rookie.
“He has such a big arm and he can kind of make any throw,” Kittle said. “You guys have seen the highlights they post of him throwing off his back foot, 50 yards downfield, across his body. He can make all those throws and it looks effortless. He is a 21-year-old rookie who has a lot to figure out and he has a long way to go, we all do, but he’s playing at a high level right now.
“He continuously makes plays every single day. He usually doesn’t make the same mistake twice, and if you can not make the same mistake twice you’re doing something right. I enjoy watching Trey play, I enjoy watching him use his legs a little bit. I like watching people who enjoy playing football, and you can tell how much he loves it and how much he wants to be good and better every single day. I appreciate that from him because you get a great mindset and attitude every single day.”
Here’s an example of what Kittle is talking about.
Looks like Trey Lance can throw the deep ball ? pic.twitter.com/8yTypUAaVB
— KNBR (@KNBR) August 3, 2021
49ers fans will get their first look at Lance this weekend, in the 49ers preseason opener on Saturday.
Listen to the full interview below.