Kittle says Cowboys T-shirt taunt ‘100%’ worth it

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has not yet received a verdict from the NFL on whether he will be fined for the T-shirt he wore under his uniform against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

Asked what he’s expecting when that decision is made, Kittle said Thursday he probably will have to pay for his wardrobe choice.

“Probably to get a fine,” Kittle said. “I wore a personalized T-shirt, maybe an inappropriate word. So, it is what it is. It was a decision I made, if they want to fine me, they fine me.”

Kittle wore the shirt under his red No. 85 jersey during the Niners’ 42-10 win against the Cowboys. The gray shirt said “F— Dallas” in blue lettering, and Kittle revealed it while celebrating running back Jordan Mason‘s 26-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.

George Kittle’s shirt from Sunday night @gkittle46 pic.twitter.com/iOUicQwh2P

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 9, 2023

On Wednesday, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the league was considering a fine for a “personal message” uniform violation. The price tag for such an infraction is $10,927.

But Kittle made clear Thursday that he has no regrets even if fined.

“One hundred percent,” Kittle said. “I’d do it again.”

Since the 49ers picked Kittle in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft, he has made it a point to study the team’s storied history. That is what led him to wear the shirt as a homage to former Niners linebacker Gary Plummer, who wore a similar shirt with the same message during the 1994 NFC Championship Game against the Cowboys.

At the time, San Francisco-Dallas was the league’s biggest rivalry; the teams squared off in three consecutive NFC Championship Games and combined to claim all three Super Bowl titles.

Kittle said he has heard from a handful of former Niners on social media over the past few days.

“A little bit here and there,” Kittle said. “I’d love to talk to Gary Plummer and just get his vibe.”

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday he had no problem with Kittle wearing the shirt, noting it’s all part of the tight end’s outsized persona.

“[It’s] just Kittle, WWE stuff, entertainment,” Shanahan said. “Not really much, just smiled at it.”

One person who wasn’t smiling about it was Cowboys pass-rusher Micah Parsons. Speaking on his podcast “The Edge with Micah Parsons,” Parsons said he felt like Kittle was “making it way more personal than it had to be.”

Dallas safety Jayron Kearse didn’t see it quite the same way, adding: “I don’t have a problem with nothing he did. If we do our job and keep him out of the end zone, he wouldn’t have been able to do it.”

Kittle had three catches for 67 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

Even if he is fined, Kittle said he won’t be wearing a similar themed T-shirt when the Niners play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday since no such storied rivalry exists between the teams.

“I don’t make things up,” Kittle said. “We stand on the shoulders of the 49ers before us. It’s something I’ve seen my whole career, and finally, I just wanted to channel it.”