George Kittle details losing nearly 30 pounds after Super Bowl LVIII due to surgeries - "It was tough"
George Kittle battled through injuries to help the San Francisco 49ers reach the Super Bowl LVIII. The five-time Pro Bowler underwent multiple surgeries after their loss. Kittle revealed that he lost nearly 30 pounds in weight in the process.
On Tuesday, Kittle appeared on the "Bussin' with The Boys" podcast with Will Compton and Taylor Lewan. The 49ers tight end said having multiple surgeries was tough for him. Kittle mentioned that his anxiety levels were "pretty high." [From 59:59]
"Right after the Super Bowl, I refractured a rib, and I had my shoulder and then I had core surgery and my toe... I'm laying there like, 'holy sh*t like this is gonna be a tough bounce back.' And it was tough."
Kittle continued:
"So after Super Bowl, I lost almost 30 pounds because I couldn't lift. I couldn't do any upper body because my shoulder, my rib. And I couldn't do lower because of my core surgery and then I got surgery. Right? So like I didn't lift from like the Super Bowl until like almost mid-March. Like I went a month without doing anything."
The 49ers tight end is on schedule with his recovery process. Kittle added that he is back to feeling almost 100 percent and wants to add more weight as he felt skinny after losing almost 30 pounds.
Losing two Super Bowls to the Chiefs was not fun for George Kittle
While the surgeries took a physical toll on George Kittle, losing two Super Bowls to the same opponents, Kansas City Chiefs, wasn't fun for the San Francisco 49ers tight end. Speaking on the same podcast, Kittle said that both the Super Bowl losses were hurtful. [From 55:11]
"It does suck. Losing Super Bowls is not fun. They both suck in their own way. But no, I wouldn't say one hurts more than the other. I think just recency. It's not very fun.
"But another way to look at it is like, well, I woke up the next day and I get to play football again. Like it is what it is like climbing back up the mountain and push the rock back up the mountain."
George Kittle and the 49ers lost the Super Bowl LIV 31-20 in 2020 after Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a brilliant comeback win. The 49ers lost the Super Bowl LVIII 25-20, earlier this year, in overtime, to the same opponents. Head coach Kyle Shanahan's overtime decision hurt them badly.
The 49ers begin their next quest for Super Bowl on September 09, against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.