George Kittle got to know Christian McCaffrey on and off the football field in the 14 games the 49ers stars played together during 2022 NFL season.
The do-it-all running back was part of a midseason trade that placed him about 15 miles away from where he played college ball at Stanford. It didn't take long for McCaffrey to become familiar with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, nor did it take long for him and Kittle to click.
"Man, McCaffrey is one of a kind," Kittle said on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" on Tuesday. "Just being able to be in the locker next to him, being able to block for him, seeing his mindset every single day in the locker room, on the practice field, how he takes care of his body.
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"He is a professional. Everything he does is to set himself up for success on the football field, and you love to be around guys like that. You love guys with that mindset, it is infectious."
Kittle and McCaffrey had become friends a few years before uniting as teammates while seeing each other at several Nike events. But the two in the Bay together led to more hangouts, such as sitting courtside at Warriors games.
While McCaffrey’s arrival to Santa Clara dramatically and almost instantly changed the 49ers' offense, those around him believe there's much more in store for the All-Pro. For Kittle, it's a plus that McCaffrey has a similar personality as he does.
San Francisco 49ers
"Other guys watch that mindset, they watch how he prepares, they watch how he does his own thing," Kittle said. "They watch the time he commits to everything, the film he watches. And so everything he brings to the table is positive for the 49ers.
"And it turns out at the end of the day, he's also funny and a great dude, so he fits our locker room perfectly well. And he's also a weirdo just like me."
In McCaffrey's 11 regular-season appearances for the 49ers, the six-year NFL veteran recorded 159 carries for 746 yards and six touchdowns, as well as 52 receptions for 464 yards and an additional four receiving touchdowns.
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McCaffrey’s 1,139 total yards rushing in 2022 was his third 1,000-yard season since being drafted as the No. 8 overall selection of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.