George Kittle loves Brandon Aiyuk, but doesn’t think 49ers are missing him quite yet

Aug 14, 2024, 3:28 PM | Updated: 3:29 pm

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 20: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with Brandon Aiyuk #11 after scoring a 32-yard touchdown during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Levi's Stadium on January 20, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

BY AMILIANO FRAGOSO

San Francisco 49ers Beat Writer

As time ticks away on the 49ers’ preseason tour, they still remain without Brandon Aiyuk on the field. But despite the angst and unpleasantness of the situation, George Kittle believes the 49ers don’t miss him on the field. That is, until they play an actual game without him.

Both Kittle and cornerback Charvarius Ward were asked about the ongoing saga between Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers. Both men delivered stoic replies when asked if the team missed him out there, one much more elaborate than the other. Ward was broached on the subject initially, and halted for a split second to contemplate what he was about to say.

For the first time in my three years of covering the Pro-Bowl cornerback, he had to restrain himself in the response.

“How much do we miss him? The season hasn’t started yet so we don’t know how much we miss him yet. I don’t want to say nothing crazy but they’ll figure something out, eventually,” Ward said, uneasily, about Aiyuk Wednesday.

“They’ll figure it out eventually. They’ll figure it out.” Charvarius Ward on the Brandon Aiyuk situation pic.twitter.com/2X5orYF6uC

— Tracy Sandler (@TracyFGSN) August 14, 2024

Kittle, watching his teammate be guinea-pigged with the question, had a more elaborate response. The eight-year tight end actually had a story to tell, one that was a bit more relevant to the days’ events.

Of course, we’re referring to Brandon Aiyuk’s reappearance at 49ers’ practice Wednesday, the first time any member of the media has seen him take in football activities since July 31st. B.A. took in the entire move the ball portion of 49ers’ practice, seen on the far sideline downfield taking in the action. This comes after reports that both Aiyuk and the 49ers are close to a long-term agreement to remain together in SF.

But from players’ perspective: They’re just happy to see their buddy out there, especially Kittle. The TE walked over to Aiyuk during the special-teams drills for a quick chat, nothing more, nothing less.

And while Kittle gets it (all the speculation and drama), the All-Pro is just focused on making it work with the guys who are on the field right now. But he won’t lie: It’s always nice seeing B.A.

“I love Aiyuk, I’ve played with him for four years. I love his mindset every single day. You guys asked [Charvarius Ward] Mooney ‘Do you guys miss him?’ And I think Mooney answered it perfectly. We haven’t played a game without him yet. So as an offense, we don’t know, you interchange pieces all the time,” Kittle explained. “We’ve had [49ers left tackle] Trent Williams hurt in a game and we still won. So it’s like, ‘Hey, you miss him, but you can make do with it.’ So we don’t know, right, at the end of the day, but I do know that Aiyuk is a fantastic football player, and the energy that he brings every single day, this elevates us.”

“The energy he brings everyday elevates us.” #49ers TE George Kittle on talking with Brandon Aiyuk today. #FTTB pic.twitter.com/XpwEkRmiOa

— Matt Lively (@mattblively) August 14, 2024

Kittle would go on to tell a story between the two men recently catching up.

The tight end was out to dinner with his wife, Claire, on a recent off-day at a fancy restaurant. Upon pulling out of the valet, his teammate drove up. Surprised by the coincidence, Kittle approached Aiyuk, sparking a conversation. Again, nothing major, just a friendly check-in, teammate to teammate, as his contractual saga ebbs and flows along the river of uncertainty.

“We went to dinner on one of our off nights, and we’re pulling out of valet, and he pulls into valet,” Kittle recalls. “Just seeing him I was, ‘Hey, I haven’t seen you in a couple days, man, how are you doing?’ So, just a chance to see him is always fantastic, love the smile on his face.”

There’s a reason Kittle is referred to as “The People’s Tight End”. He’s loved by the masses, especially in the 49ers’ locker room. On top of that, Kittle gets what Aiyuk is going through. He gets the agony of waiting to put pen to paper, wanting to get the most money possible while also being in a good football situation.

While Aiyuk and his contract standoff has lasted far longer than Kittle’s did, being able to pick each others’ brains about more than just football is something not many outside of it will understand.

“Just being about to have a conversation with him is fantastic. Just see how he’s doing, and if everything’s going the way that he wants it to go,” Kittle said about Aiyuk.