49ers QB Brock Purdy Explains his Chemistry with George Kittle

No one has benefitted more from the emergence of Brock Purdy than George Kittle.

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) chats with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) while facing the New York Jets in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

SANTA CLARA -- No one has benefitted more from the emergence of Brock Purdy than George Kittle.

Before Purdy became the 49ers starting quarterback, Kittle had scored just 24 touchdowns in 76 games -- a surprisingly low number for such a great tight end. But since Purdy became the starter at the end of 2022, Kittle has caught 20 touchdowns in just 30 games. Finally, Kittle has a good quarterback who can get him the ball in tight spaces, and he's showing what he could have done his entire career if he didn't have to so many games with Jimmy Garoppolo.

Here's what Purdy said about Kittle this week courtesy of the 49ers p.r. department.

Q: The redzone production hasn't been where you want it, but TE George Kittle has kind of been a constant for you this year, and even when you took over, he scored a lot more touchdowns than he did previously. How were you guys able to kind of develop that connection that you have and where is your trust level in terms of, George specifically?

PURDY: “I think when you go down there, man, just the tight end, his frame and everything, and how explosive he is, his hands, he's a really good matchup against guys down there, especially when it's tighter and in the redzone. You don't have a lot of room for error or anything and so when you have a guy that is a good mismatch, as a quarterback, it makes you comfortable and knowing that, alright, I have an outlet with Kittle. And so it's been, really just going through my progressions and trusting in [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and trying to get George in the right matchups in getting him the ball and giving him an opportunity. He's come down with some crazy catches. And so for me, it's almost like I have my tight end as my checkdown down there, knowing that George is going to find a way and give me a chance. It's, obviously, really nice and hopefully we can continue our connection and growth together.”

Q: You mentioned the crazy catches. You see toe taps, things like that, for a lot of receivers, you don't necessarily see tight ends doing that. How unusual is it to have somebody who is making plays like that in those situations?

PURDY: “For a tight end, for how big he is and the run blocking and all this stuff you have to do as a gritty tight end, to then go and toe tap on the sidelines and jump up and make acrobatic catches and stuff, that's unheard of. And he does that on a weekly basis it seems like. George is a future Hall of Famer, man, so I'm very thankful to be playing with him. And like I said, I hope I can continue to feed him and continue to grow together.”

Q: George is sometimes silly, but obviously there has to be a serious side. What have you learned from him, whether it's just the business of the NFL or just the wisdom he's been able to impart to you?

PURDY: “He’s done a lot, sort of just taken me under his wing, be like an older brother and just sort of give me the layout of everything, of what this business is and what it looks like.  Obviously how to treat people, what to do, what not to do, off-the-field stuff and how to handle just the spotlight and everything and what he does that helps him center back in to what matters most with his family, friends and football. He's given me some really good advice and continues to. It wasn't just a one-time thing when I was a rookie. He continues to do that. I'm very appreciative of that. And obviously he's got the fun, charismatic personality, which we all love. But he also knows what it takes to be great at this level. And he does what's best for obviously the team and himself and his family. And so I respect how he goes about what he does. Obviously, the treatment on his body, studying, performing, all of it, man, you see it. And so, I'm extremely blessed to be a teammate of his and for him to teach me the ropes.”

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