- Programming note: The American Century Championship will air Friday, July 11, from 1-3 p.m. PT on Peacock, and again from 5-7 p.m. PT on GOLF Channel. Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13, the tournament will air locally on NBC Bay Area (KNTV) from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT.
George Kittle and the 49ers veterans understand they have an obligation to help the young players on the squad, especially the 11 rookies that the team selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The “People’s Tight End” sat down with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco at the American Century Championship in South Lake Tahoe on Thursday and said what he thinks will help to prepare the rookies the most.
“Try to make practice as game-like as possible,” Kittle told Maiocco. “And I think Kyle [Shanahan] does a really good job about that. You know, with just our move the ball periods and getting guys acclimated really quickly.”
Last season, the 49ers had rookies touch the field for an ample amount of time. Players like safety Malik Mustapha, cornerback Renardo Green and offensive lineman Dominick Puni played significant roles for the team, playing almost the entire season along with offensive weapons running back Isaac Guerendo and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.
For Kittle and the 49ers, perhaps the most important factor is players’ ability to stay healthy so they can get the repetitions they need to prepare for a 17-game, 18-week season.
“But truly, just get them out there, get them good reps, keep them healthy,” Kittle told Maiocco. “That’s the biggest thing as a rookie, you just gotta stay healthy through training camp so you can get all those reps and get those couple hundred reps that can kind of prepare you for what you think the speed of the NFL is going to be.”
The 49ers surely are hoping their 11 rookies can stay healthy and contribute this season.
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