Have you ever wondered what motivates 49ers tight end George Kittle?
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Kittle offered a glimpse of what kindles his inner fire as an NFL superstar.
"I've had pretty much the same motivation every year," Kittle said. "I walk in this building every day and there's five super bowl trophies lined up there, I walk past them every single day. You play to the game to win, all the accolades and all that stuff it is what it is, it's fun, it's fun to be an NFL football player, but you play to win."
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The 49ers have done quite a bit of winning since Kittle entered the league in 2017, reaching three NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl in the last four seasons.
Their .636 regular-season win percentage since 2019 ranks fifth in the NFL, with three of those four seasons resulting in 10 or more regular-season wins and multiple playoff victories.
As close as the 49ers have come to attaining their ultimate goal of winning a championship, they have yet to crest the mountaintop that so painstakingly has eluded them over these last few years.
San Francisco 49ers
Although they have fallen just short in heartbreaking fashion more than once, Kittle and this 49ers team remain as determined as ever to break through and hoist the storied franchise's sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.
"This team is hungry, and this team is motivated, and it's fun to be a part of an organization that has
won in the past," Kittle said. "We have great players that are a part of this organization, we had great players then, we have great players now. We're hungry and we're getting ready to roll."
Given how fleeting windows of contention tend to be in the NFL, there likely is a greater sense of urgency this season for the 49ers to etch their place in franchise lore.
However, Kittle's motivation remains the same in year seven of his career as it was his rookie season.