George Kittle continues to recover from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the wild card round in January. He appeared in 11 regular-season games for the San Francisco 49ers last season while also dealing with a hamstring strain.
The FIFA World Cup is in full swing, with San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, also known as Levi's Stadium, serving as one of its venues. Other stadiums that use artificial turf have installed natural grass to meet the football governing body's requirements.
Kittle shared his take on the polarizing NFL debate that has sparked controversies, particularly regarding players frequently getting injured on artificial turf.
"If you can put grass in MetLife and in SoFi, I think you could do that year-round if you really gave a [expletive]," Kittle said, via the "Pardon My Take" podcast. "I mean, that's my opinion. I think, if you polled every single player, I would say probably 90% would [say] they would prefer a grass field. And I'd say 10% would say they don't care.
"But 90% of guys, they prefer to play on grass. And so, it's just like, well, you just show that you can do it, so then, why don't we do it? Because that's what the players want to do."
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
The 49ers' home stadium uses natural grass. However, some NFL arenas don't. Kittle and his team are scheduled to play five games next season on artificial turf.
He has been hurt twice while playing on that surface, including Week 16 of the 2025 season against the Colts. The Iowa product sustained a left ankle injury and left the game in the third quarter. He also blasted the use of the surface in 2022, citing that it contributed to his knee issue then.
The tight end ranks among the best players at his position. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro selection. Kittle is crucial to his team's chances of having a deeper playoff run in 2026 and potentially winning a Super Bowl. He is one of Brock Purdy's favorite targets, recording 57 receptions for 628 yards and seven touchdowns last year.
Reports indicate that Kittle is on track to return by Week 1. While Achilles tendon injuries are some of the hardest to recover from, the 32-year-old aims to get doctors' clearance for the season opener.
