George Kittle has seen a lot during his nine-year NFL career.
The 49ers’ seven-time Pro Bowl tight end has played in 32 different stadiums over that span, but he says playing in Philadelphia is unique for one particular reason: Eagles fans.
“The one thing that’s really unique about Philly is that they don’t really, maybe a division rival’s different, but any other road team that comes in there, they hate all of us equally and I just appreciate that,” Kittle told reporters on Thursday ahead of the team’s NFC Wild Card Game matchup with the Eagles. “It’s incredibly loud, they flip you off, they moon you on your bus ride in, but they do that to anybody.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re the Niners, it doesn’t matter if you’re the Jacksonville Jaguars. It doesn’t matter. They just give you that no matter what and I appreciate that, because you can tell how much they love their team.”
Since 2021, the Eagles own the third-best home record in the NFL with a 29-13 record at Lincoln Financial Field – better known as “The Linc.”
And while the environment is known to be quite hostile, Kittle also added that he has heard the good and bad stories about Eagles fans.
“I’ve heard stories where fans that wear opposing gear will have a terrible experience, and then one of my best friends from high school wore a George Kittle jersey and he said, ‘They couldn’t be nicer,’ and ‘It was a great time,’ so I think it’s just about who you sit with,” Kittle added.
The last time the 49ers played in Philadelphia they suffered not only a 31-7 defeat, but also the loss of Brock Purdy due to a torn UCL in the 2023 NFC Championship game.
The two face off on Saturday in a Wild Card weekend matchup.
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