George Kittle’s wife throws shade at Jimmy Garoppolo while praising Brock Purdy

We know San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle would never take a shot at his former quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, but that doesn’t mean Claire Kittle won’t. We found that out first hand when Claire threw shade at Jimmy G while praising the team’s current starter, Brock Purdy. Claire posted the following Pro Football Focus stats in an Instagram post to show just how successful of a connection Kittle and Purdy have had. “The most efficient QB-TE connection in NFL history. According to PFF tracking data, Brock Purdy to George Kittle ranks No. 1 all-time among QB-TE duos with a 0.750 EPA per play (minimum 75 targets),” the post read. MORE: Claire Kittle stuns in gold bikini for SI Swimsuit show “Across all pass-catchers, they rank 4th overall in efficiency — but have sustained that efficiency at a much higher volume than the wide receiver duos ahead of them… And somehow, it keeps getting better.” Now, that’s not clearly a shot at Garoppolo on its face. However, what Claire included in the post was, whether she meant it or not. “Just imagine if (Kittle) had a consistent QB week to week for the first 5 years of his career lol,” she wrote in the same post. “Thankful to have Brock at the helm. This duo has a lot of records together. Let’s keep it rolling.” The Jimmy G, Kittle connection San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws the ball against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports (Reuters) Kittle caught passes from Jimmy G for the first six seasons of his career. Part of the instability at quarterback in that span had to do with Garoppolo’s performance, but injury was a bigger problem, as Garoppolo missed several games during his tenure. Garoppolo appeared in 15 games or more in just two campaigns with San Francisco, which came in 2019 and 2021. In those seasons, Kittle played in 14 games in each and produced 1,053 yards and 910 yards, respectively. MORE: George Kittle injury update provides massive NFL Week 1 optimism Kittle’s best season in the NFL came in his second in 2018, when he ripped off career-highs in receptions (88) and receiving yards (1,377). Jimmy G played in just three games that season. In fairness to Garoppolo, he did lead the 49ers to a pair of conference title games, and San Francisco also went to a Super Bowl with him under center, so it wasn’t all bad. But Garoppolo failed to win the Big Game and that drastically changes the overall outlook of his time in San Francisco. The Brock Purdy show San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) prepares to take the snap against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect (Reuters) Purdy stepped in while Jimmy G was injured in 2022 and ultimately led the 49ers to a conference title appearance before taking San Francisco to the Super Bowl in 2023. Purdy has been the 49ers’ starter since that 2022 season and hasn’t looked back. The Niners also committed a massive contract extension to the signal-caller, who has defied the odds considering he was a seventh-round pick. MORE: Projecting the Week 1 starter at QB for every team Purdy had some injury issues in 2025, but the Niners were bailed out because they had a top-flight backup in Mac Jones, who went 5-3 as a starter and kept the team afloat. The 2025 season notwithstanding, it’s true Purdy has provided more stability for the Niners during his career thus far than Garoppolo did. Where is Jimmy Garoppolo now? Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (11) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect (Reuters) Since his departure from San Francisco, Garoppolo struck out as a starter with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he only lasted one season. He then latched on with the Los Angeles Rams the past two seasons as a backup. Garoppolo has not signed with a team in 2026, but he has not retired, either, and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that he would play “in the right situation.” — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —