George Kittle never believed the rumors. The far-fetched rumors that Tom Brady would be joining the 49ers to replace Jimmy Garoppolo reached the star tight end's ears and eyes and he promptly discarded them in the same manner he does would-be tacklers on Sundays.
“It is what it is,” Kittle told Mike Florio on #PFTPM on Friday about the Brady rumors. “People talk. There’s nothing else to talk about. It’s nothing that I took seriously. Jimmy G is my quarterback, and he’s one hell of a quarterback. We don’t get to the Super Bowl without him. So there’s no one that I’d replace him with. What he’s done for this team leadership-wise and on the field, he’s one-of-a-kind. There’s no one else I’d rather be around to throw me the ball. You know, I’m just excited being able to play football again with Jimmy G and I know that he’s ready to fling that rock again.”
Kittle has been Garoppolo's staunchest defender. Every time the critics unjustly come clamoring at the gates to rip Garoppolo, Kittle is there to go to bat for QB1.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
As the Brady rumors picked up steam, Kittle took to Instagram to show his support for Garoppolo, who led the 49ers to a 13-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC this past season.
The Brady talk always seemed one-sided. Brady, 42, grew up as a fan of the 49ers idolizing Joe Montana and was looking for a stable organization that he could try to win a title with as his career winds down. The 49ers, of course, check all the boxes.
The 49ers reportedly "discussed" signing Brady but ultimately decided to stick with Garoppolo and see if they could finish their championship mission by running it back in 2020.
[RELATED: Brady, like idol Montana, chooses to finish career on his terms]
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
After reportedly identifying the Raiders, 49ers and Indianapolis Colts as places he could win, Brady ultimately decided to take his talents to Florida and join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to team up with Bruce Arians and Pro Bowl receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Kittle, Garoppolo and the 49ers are in the middle of their championship window and they are preparing for another run at the Lombardi Trophy come fall. Perhaps they'll meet Brady and the Bucs along the way.