Claire Kittle, wife of San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, recently took to social media to express her appreciation for the current quarterback situation with Brock Purdy, while also making a pointed remark about the team's past signal-callers. Her comments, shared via Instagram, suggested a strong sense of gratitude for the stability Purdy brings to the team, implicitly contrasting it with previous years.
Kittle's post featured a screenshot emphasizing the efficiency of the quarterback-tight end connection between Purdy and George Kittle. The data indicated their pairing ranks as the most efficient QB-TE connection in NFL history based on EPA per play, with a minimum of 75 targets. The post further detailed that their connection ranks fourth overall in efficiency among all pass-catchers, noting its sustained performance at a high volume.
"Just imagine if he had a consistent QB week to week for the first 5 years of his career lol… Thankful to have Brock at the helm," Claire Kittle wrote in her caption, alluding to the early stages of her husband's NFL career. While she did not name any specific former quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo served as San Francisco's primary starter for much of that period. George Kittle was drafted by the 49ers in 2017.
During the first five seasons of Kittle's career, Garoppolo started 45 of the team's 81 regular-season games. Other quarterbacks, including Nick Mullens, Brian Hoyer, C.J. Beathard, and Trey Lance, also saw starting time during this span, contributing to the instability Claire Kittle referenced. Garoppolo, however, did start all six of the 49ers' playoff games within that timeframe, including their Super Bowl appearance in 2019, a year he also started all 16 regular-season games.
The comments from Claire Kittle highlight the ongoing conversation surrounding quarterback performance and team stability in the NFL, particularly for a franchise like the 49ers that has experienced significant player and leadership changes at the most crucial position over the years.