49ers Star George Kittle Reveals Which Super Bowl Loss Hurt Most

Discussing the two Super Bowl losses to the Kansas City Chiefs is something no player on the San Francisco 49ers likes to do.

Unfortunately for George Kittle, he was recently asked about those games while appearing on the Unbuttoned podcast with Chris Simms.

Kittle was asked which of the two Super Bowl losses to the Chiefs hurt him most. His answer might surprise you. Here's what he had to say.

This Super Bowl loss hurt Kittle the most

Feb 2, 2020; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) makes a reception which is called back for offensive pass interference on Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Daniel Sorensen (49) during the second quarter in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

"The first one hurt more," Kittle said, referring to the game in Miami Gardens over six years ago. "I felt like I was primed to have a great game that one. I was as healthy as I could possibly be for a February game. And it was just one of the most fun seasons I've had on a team.

"Starting the season off 9-0, and the majority of the guys there were guys I'd played with for three years already, and I felt like we had all gone through the buildup together. Guys like DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, Jimmie Ward, Richard Sherman, Joe Staley. Those guys felt like they were brothers to me."

This makes perfect sense for Kittle to choose the Super Bowl from six years ago over the one from over two years ago. Usually, the first heartbreak is always the worst.

And a lot of times, when a professional athlete wins their first championship, they always cite that one as their favorite if they have won more than one.

But the fact that Kittle mentions those players who are "brothers" to him makes it even more special and devastating. You can tell he not only wanted to win it for himself, but for them.

Those players were the veterans of the team and meant so much to Kittle during his development. It was a special bond, so it makes sense that it stings him more that he couldn't help them win a Super Bowl.

As for the last loss that occurred in Las Vegas, that one obviously is brutal for Kittle, but there's a reason he doesn't cite that one as the worst loss.

"I was just so banged up for that game," Kittle said. "I was maybe playing at like seventy percent, but it's the Super Bowl, so you're not going to not play in it."

In one game, Kittle was healthy and had growth with several teammates. In the other, he was banged up and didn't go through turbulent times with his teammates.

The 2020 Super Bowl was more meaningful to Kittle, and he could actually help, while in the 2024 Super Bowl, he couldn't play anywhere close to how he'd like.

Maybe that's why he didn't play through the whistle when he failed to recover Christian McCaffrey's fumble on the opening drive when the ball was right next to him.

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