49ers TE George Kittle Reveals How Kyle Shanahan Shaped His Career

Interesting.

Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and tight end George Kittle (85) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

For the rest of time, when someone mentions the Kyle Shanahan era of the San Francisco 49ers, one instantly thinks of tight end George Kittle.

This year, both enter their 10th year together, with Kittle now the longest-serving 49ers player following his selection in the 2017 draft class. Kyle Jusczyk also enters his 10th year, but joined in free agency.

Kittle will know first-hand what is expected of him on the field, but he also provided some fascinating insight into how Shanahan coaches his players. There is always an emphasis on getting better and seeking improvement every single day, which has evidently helped make Kittle one of the best tight ends in the league year after year.

This anecdote provides a glimpse into one of Shanahan's best methods that has helped him excel.

"The longer that you’re with Kyle, the more comfortable he is with roasting you," Kittle told NBC Sports Bay Area. "But it’s out of place of ‘I expect you to play at this level every single snap, so when you don’t, I’m going to coach you.’

"Which is what you need from your head coach. You need someone who’s not scared to coach you. The one thing I really appreciate about Kyle is he’s never disrespectful.

Aug 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) , left, speaks with head coach Kyle Shanahan before the start of the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

"I’ve had coaches, whether it was college or I’ve seen other coaches be disrespectful or you hear stories about it. It’s hard to play for someone like that. Kyle’s always just brutally honest in everything that he does and that’s probably the most helpful thing.

"And you need coaches like that. Jon Embree was my tight ends coach early on, and it was my first preseason game ever at Minnesota, he completely destroyed me in the locker room at halftime and it flipped the switch for me, and it created a sense of urgency for me.

"That really shaped my career and it allowed me to be a starter as a rookie."

This approach is always interesting because, truthfully, accountability can only be achieved through honesty. Every day is a process, and it sounds as though Shanahan believes honesty and avoiding sugarcoating are the only ways to get his players to raise their standards and reach the highest level he expects from them.

As a likely result, Kittle is on the verge of becoming the franchise's all-time touchdown leader among tight ends. It's a record he should claim this season, and Shanahan deserves some of the credit for it.