George Kittle hits back at 'crazy' narrative about 49ers

In May, NFL Football Operations shared that the San Francisco 49ers have the "easiest" schedule for the 2025 regular season based on the 2024 winning percentages of their opponents. 

During the latest edition of "The Richard Sherman Podcast," 49ers tight end George Kittle explained why he vehemently disagrees with these forecasts. 

"That's what's crazy. The Niners have the 'easiest' strength of schedule this year. It's like — it's the NFL. It's hard regardless," Kittle said, per Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. "Sure, we're not going up against the No. 1s of every conference or division. But still, it's an NFL game. You still have to go out and perform at an incredibly high level because every team is doing that same (expletive). So what are you talking about, easiest schedule? Relax. I still have to go out and play for 60 minutes and find a way to get a dub."

Technically, the 49ers would be one reason an opponent has an "easier" schedule after they went 6-11 in 2024. However, these projections ignore the fact that San Francisco dealt with multiple injuries last season that included Kittle, quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Christian McCaffrey, left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk missing time. 

As for the rest of the NFC West, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Los Angeles Rams sixth among the betting favorites at +1000 odds to represent the conference in Super Bowl LX as of Friday morning. To compare, San Francisco was at +950 odds at that time. 

The Seattle Seahawks hope to compete for a playoff berth after signing quarterback Sam Darnold in free agency. Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals expect that quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will give opposing defenses headaches this fall.

In short, Kittle isn't taking anything for granted this summer. 

"No one likes to lose," Kittle added. "Usually, the teams that didn't play well last year are the most hungry to go out there and do it again anyway. So you're getting the most hungry (expletive) teams every single year."

Kittle and Co. will face a significant challenge when the 49ers open the regular season with a matchup at the Seahawks on Sept. 7. As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had San Francisco as a 1.5-point betting favorite for that Week 1 contest.