George Kittle’s wife Claire is ‘thankful’ for Brock Purdy as star duo gear up for 49ers return

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

George Kittle’s wife Claire is ‘thankful’ for Brock Purdy as star duo gear up for 49ers return

Originally posted on HITC | By Ishaan Bhattacharya | Last updated Sep 2, 2026 7:34 AM ET

San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle’s wife, Claire Kittle, highlighted how much QB Brock Purdy means to the success of George’s career.

Kittle established himself as one of the elite TEs in the NFL within a few years after getting drafted in 2015, setting a franchise record for yards as a TE in his second NFL season.

However, the 49ers remain contenders for a Super Bowl after two appearances in the last seven years primarily because of the emergence of QB Purdy, according to Claire Kittle.

Claire Kittle highlights Brock Purdy’s impact on George Kittle’s career

Claire took to Instagram to highlight how elite the Purdy-Kittle duo has been since Purdy’s emergence in 2022, lamenting the lack of a consistent QB like Purdy in the years before that.

“Just imagine if he had a consistent QB week-to-week for the first five years of his career lol. Thankful to have Brock at the helm. This duo has a lot of records together. Let’s keep it rolling.”

Claire Kittle kept it on the Brock Purdy and George Kittle duo pic.twitter.com/LrTuAN8vFx
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) September 1, 2026

Claire shared a stat according to PFF tracking data that says the Purdy-Kittle partnership ranks No. 1 all-time among QB-TE duos with a 0.750 EPA per play. It also highlights that the duo ranks fourth overall in efficiency.

Kittle tore his Achilles during the 2026 season, which ensured an injury-stricken 49ers had no real pathway to contention. However, they’re hoping to return to the Super Bowl this season.

George Kittle was a beast long before Brock Purdy came to the 49ers

Purdy’s consistency definitely makes him the best QB that Kittle has played with, but there are no major differences in accomplishments for Kittle with Purdy compared to without.

Photo by Bruce Yeung/Getty Images

Kittle set the franchise records for yards as a TE long before Purdy’s emergence, but there was a massive increase in consistent TDs after Purdy earned the job in 2022.

Kittle had 381 receptions, 4,978 yards, and 24 TDs in five seasons without Purdy as a starter, and has had roughly 214 receptions, 3,030 yards, and 28 TDs in 45 games since Purdy earned the job.

Regardless, Kittle has one Super Bowl loss without Purdy and one with Purdy, so the true test of their success as a duo will be dependent on whether they can ultimately win a title.

If Kittle returns as the high-level athlete we know he can be, the 49ers with Purdy at the helm will be a dangerous team for anyone who comes across them.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: