The rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams is one of the league’s longest-standing and most heated.
Earlier in the 2025 season, the 49ers defeated the Rams in Los Angeles, winning 26-23 in overtime in what was one of the grittiest and defining wins of their season.
Then the Rams returned the favor and blew out the 49ers 42-26 at Levi’s Stadium.
For one player in particular, tight end George Kittle, the importance of facing the Rams runs deep. Since joining the 49ers in 2017, he’s seen the franchise grow from rebuilding to contending, and he’s played a key role in that rise.
“The Seahawks and the Cardinals are always—they’re up there,” Kittle admitted earlier this season when discussing NFC West rivals. “Division rivals are always up there, just because we play them twice a year, and for some reason, my wife (Claire) hates all three of them, which I just love that out of her. I think her and [49ers kicker] Eddy [Piñeiro] both hate them, and I’m not entirely sure the reason, but they both hate them.
“I don’t know, the Rams week is just—because when I first got in the league, they were the best team in the division, easily,” Kittle explained on NBC Sports Bay Area. “And I think we lost our first four games to them or something like that, or three games to them.
Nov 2, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) dances on the field during a break in the action in the second half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
“And so, it just always made me want to beat them,” Kittle continued. “And every single time I ever play them, I always want to beat them.
“I don’t know if it’s Sean McVay and how he memorizes everything, if that pisses me off, but there’s just something about the Rams that makes me want to always have a good game against them.”
Kittle added that the disdain began later on, after being on the wrong end of four consecutive losses during his rookie and sophomore seasons.
“It probably started in 2019,” Kittle said. “The only way to beat these guys, because they’re always athletic, they’re always talented, they always got a great scheme, they always got a great offense, and the only way to beat them is just to mentally say, screw it. I’m going to be really violent and physical.”
Kittle is the longest-tenured 49er drafted by the team, setting the standard whenever the 49ers face divisional or historical rivals. He understands the significance of representing the City by the Bay.
Read More