Watch: George Kittle had a special way of saying "hi" to former NFL TE Greg Olsen
On Thursday, George Kittle showed his toughness, power, and dominating strength. However, it wasn't on the gridiron itself that the burling tight end showed his physical prowess. Instead, it was pre-game when FOX announcer Greg Olsen came down to the field and said "hello."
Olsen has settled into his role as a commentator seamlessly. Olsen and Kevin Burkhardt are among the best commentator tandems in the business. But in this unique exchange between tight end and former tight end, Kittle had the upper hand in strength.
Ahead of Titans vs 49ers game, George Kittle and Greg Olsen put mutual respect on display
Commentators enjoy going to the field pre-game to find anything they can use as commentary. Seeing as Kittle and Olsen were co-leaders of "Tight End University," it made sense the two would exchange greetings. It just wasn't the type of traditional handshake introduction you'd expect.
.@gkittle46 ran into @gregolsen88 and they immediately started a football drill 😂
📺: #SFvsTEN (8PM ET) on @NFLNetwork
📱: bit.ly/33I0iWM https://t.co/8zGhSzu2Sh
The two have a lot of mutual respect for one another. From 2012 through 2016, Olsen was one of the premier tight ends in the NFL. He had over 800 receiving yards in those five seasons and did so in an era where tight ends weren't incredibly consistent.
After Olsen's play began to decline due to injuries in 2017, George Kittle picked up the torch. Kittle had 1,000-yard seasons in 2018 and 2019 and rivaled Travis Kelce as the league's best tight end.
The San Fransisco 49ers tight end has come on strong in the second half of this season. The 28-year-old was selected for his third Pro Bowl Wednesday.
Entering Thursday night's game against the Tennessee Titans, Kittle had been on a historic pace in the previous three games.
George Kittle's first 8 games this season: 35 catches, 425 yards, 3 TD.
George Kittle's last 3 games: 28 catches, 425 yards, 3 TD.
His 425 yards over a 3-game span are tied for the most ever by a TE in NFL history. https://t.co/H8DdI10U8i
But for as good as Kittle's play had been, his play in Week 16 was incredibly disappointing. Perhaps he exerted all his energy against Olsen in pregame. But the truth is Kittle wasn't a prominent piece in the 49ers game plan.
Deebo Samuel was unstoppable against the Titans. The 49ers speedster stole the spotlight with nine catches for 159 yards. Kittle was open on a handful of plays, but Jimmy Garoppolo went elsewhere with the ball. Even Kyle Juszczyk had more receptions and yards than Kittle.
George Kittle is sure to bounce back from an off week. His speed and ability to rack up yards after the catch makes him a dangerous threat offensively. The 8-7 49ers will need him to be his best to continue their playoff push.