49ers wife was in 'disbelief' over Achilles injury

The San Francisco 49ers are moving forward in the postseason without one of their most emotional leaders, but the moment that changed everything is still fresh for the people closest to him.

Following George Kittle’s devastating Achilles injury during Sunday’s wild-card matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, his wife, Claire Kittle, shared a raw reflection on what it felt like watching the play unfold in real time.

“Disbelief and stillness were all I felt as I yelled, ‘get up, get up,’ over and over again,” Claire wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday. “He always gets up. He’s George — he can do all things.”

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The injury occurred in the first half of the 49ers’ 23–19 road win, when George Kittle went down and did not return. He was later diagnosed with a torn Achilles, an injury that immediately ended his postseason run and put a long rehab process ahead.

Claire described the emotional whiplash of the moment, adding, “There’s no preparing for it. It hurts.” Still, her message quickly shifted toward belief in her husband’s resilience. “He is a unicorn in this world, and he will be back stronger and better than ever before,” she wrote.

After Kittle was helped off the field, Claire joined 49ers owner Jed York in heading to the locker room. According to reports, York asked the veteran tight end if he needed anything, and Kittle jokingly requested tequila — which was promptly delivered.

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Kittle later addressed the injury himself in a social media post Monday. “Football sucks sometimes,” he wrote. “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. We aren’t done yet.”