Claire Kittle painted a heartbreaking picture of “disbelief and stillness” in the aftermath of husband George Kittle’s Achilles injury, reflecting on the harrowing moment Tuesday in an emotional Instagram post.
“Disbelief and stillness were all I felt as I yelled, get up, get up, over and over again,” Claire began. “He always gets up. He’s George — he can do all things. He just does it. It hurts. There’s no preparing for it.
“I love this man with everything I have in me. He is a unicorn in this world, and he will be back stronger and better than ever before.”
Kittle, the Niners’ beloved tight end, popped his Achilles in the first half of Sunday’s 23-19 wild-card win over the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Claire and 49ers owner Jed York headed to the locker room in the wake of the crushing injury.
When York asked Kittle if there was anything he needed, the seven-time Pro Bowler requested a bottle of tequila and was swiftly provided with a bottle of Patrón, according to reports.
Kittle, who has played his entire career with the Niners beginning in 2017, broke his silence Monday.
“Football sucks sometimes,” Kittle wrote on Instagram. “But I love it. I love these guys and this team. Heartbroken but have felt so much love and support from everyone reaching out. I’ll be good. Thank you. We aren’t done yet! Also when your team owner is the first person to meet you in the locker room, you know you’re in a special place.”
With a trip to Seattle on deck for the divisional round, Kittle and his forever teammate will be supporting the team as they push toward a Super Bowl berth — a game that will be played at their home Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara next month.
“The mind of a heartbroken athlete is a determined one. He is unf–kwithable, as is this entire team,” Claire added Tuesday. “I’m proud of these guys and the rally-together grit they fight with each week. It’s a special year, you can feel that and we’re not done yet.
“Thank you for loving G and carrying some of this pain for us.”
Kittle and Claire have been married since 2019.
The 49ers, who fell to the Chiefs in Super Bowl 2024, will kick off against the top-seeded Seahawks Saturday at 8 p.m.
