San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle gave a short, explicit answer when asked about how it felt to lose the NFC Championship Game to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The San Francisco 49ers run in the playoffs once again ends in the NFC Championship Game. After riding with Brock Purdy as their quarterback entering the playoffs, the injuries at the position once again piled up at the worst possible time, as they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 31-7. Purdy suffered a right elbow injury in the game, and backup Josh Johnson had to exit after suffering a concussion.
After the game, 49ers tight end George Kittle was asked how it felt to lose in the NFC Championship Game without a quarterback. Kittle repeated the question before responding with “pretty s****y.”
George Kittle gives honest answer about losing NFC Championship Game
The 49ers did something that is impossible to others, and that’s overcome two big injuries to their top two quarterbacks. Trey Lance suffered a fractured ankle in Week 2 and Jimmy Garoppolo reassumed the starting role on the offense. But in Week 13, Garoppolo broke his foot, thus paving the way for Purdy, the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Even though Purdy had won his first seven starts, the injury bug hit him early in the first half. When attempting a pass, Purdy had his right arm hit by Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick. He exited the game, went to get checked out by the training staff, and stood on the sidelines in uniform.
Josh Johnson, who the team signed after the Garoppolo injury, entered the game. But in the second half, Johnson was hit by defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, and hit the back of his head off of the football field. Johnson was ruled out for the remainder of the game due to a concussion, forcing Purdy to enter the game again.
Purdy completed all four of his pass attempts for 23 yards. Johnson, meanwhile, completed 7-of-13 pass attempts for 74 yards.
The magic ran out for the 49ers, and now enter an important offseason. Lance and Purdy are under contract for next season, while Garoppolo is set to hit free agency. Will the 49ers stick with Lance and Purdy, or will they attempt to bring in an outside option? That will be something to watch for this offseason.
