Kittle saw his 2025 NFL campaign cruelly get cut short when he tore his Achilles in the second quarter of last Sunday’s game against the Eagles. After getting carted off the field, Kittle was reportedly visited by 49ers owner Jed York, who asked if there was anything he could do for him. That was when Kittle put in his boozy request.

George Kittle’s Achilles recovery after the 49ers’ Wild Card win could allow an early 2026 return, Dr. David J. Chao says.

Kittle inscribed the words “DEAD FOREVER” on the tape wrapped around his left ankle and gestured to the message during pregame warmups, a reference to the death of Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir. Weir’s family announced Saturday that the jam-band pioneer had died peacefully at age 78, surrounded by loved ones.