49ers TE George Kittle Seems Discouraged After his 2nd Super Bowl Loss

SANTA CLARA -- George Kittle usually is the 49ers' most enthusiastic player.

This offseason, he seems borderline somber, as if he still hasn't gotten over the 49ers' latest Super Bowl loss and maybe never will. He spoke about his lingering disappointmet at OTAs. Here's what he said.

Q: What is the state of the franchise?

KITTLE: "We have a really good roster. Great coaches, great players. Ready to win. Need to win now."

Q: Is that a prevailing feeling -- the need to win now?

KITTLE: "It has been every single year. That's your one goal, make it all the way, get to the end and win. Unfortunately, we didn't do it again. So we're going to climb the mountain again and this time we just have to win."

Q: It seems like you took this Super Bowl loss harder than anything you've ever taken in your NFL career. What made it so difficult and how do you put it past you?

KITTLE: "I still wake up every single day and I get to play football and I have another opportunity to go at this this season. Unfortunately, I didn't achieve the goal that I had to win a Super Bowl, but I have another opportunity this year. Does that suck? Yeah. But the fact that I have another opportunity with a fantastic football team and a great roster, I'd love to bet on my team. Not really. Figuratively speaking of course. Why was it so hard? Playing football is really hard to make it through an entire season to be as healthy as you can and try to make plays. We have a great core group of guys, and when you don't achieve that one goal, it's tough. I think back to Joe Staley who went to two Super Bowls and didn't win one. Just listening to him talk about how hard it was, I get that now. I understand that."

MY TAKE: Kittle sounded weary when he said all they have to do is climb the mountain again. And he kept repeating that the 49ers have a great core group of players, but he never once mentioned Kyle Shanahan, who made Kittle an afterthought in the Super Bowl. Maybe Kittle sounds discouraged because he has lost confidence in his head coach after trusting him for seven years.