George Kittle coped, then celebrated, with tequila

We all have our ways of dealing with hard times. Or for celebrating the good times.

George Kittle is no different.

The San Francisco 49ers star tight end was dealt a bitter blow on Sunday, during his team’s Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles. After making a catch in the first half Kittle planted to cut around a defender, and stayed down on the turf at Lincoln Financial Field for a long time after the play. He was then carted off the field, and early reports from the various medical experts on social media indicated that the tight end might have suffered an Achilles’ injury.

Those reports were quickly confirmed by the team, with the news that Kittle had indeed suffered a torn Achilles.

Subsequent updates outlined just how tough the situation was:

Then the updates took a turn:

That “best guess” was confirmed after the game. According to San Francisco beat reporter David Lombardi, when York entered the locker room to check on Kittle and see if there was anything he could do for his tight end, Kittle had a request.

Tequila.

While that bottle of tequila — Patron, apparently — was first used to console Kittle, it was then part of a celebration after the 49ers booked a spot in the Divisional Round with their win over the Eagles:

Kittle’s injury is not only the latest in a long line of injuries suffered by 49ers stars this season, it is the latest setback for the tight end himself. Kittle missed significant time earlier this year with a hamstring injury, and appeared in only 11 regular season games.

Now he faces a difficult recovery from an Achilles tear that could delay the start of his 2026 season.

So, you might understand the request for a bottle of tequila.