The 49ers got their sweet revenge over the Eagles in Sunday’s wild-card playoff win, but it came at a heavy cost: San Francisco star tight end George Kittle suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in the second quarter.
Kittle had just reeled in a pass from Brock Purdy and was trying to drive upfield past an Eagles defender when he suffered his Achilles tear in his right leg. He was carted off the field shortly after, but not before he shared an emotional and tender moment with his coach, Kyle Shanahan.
A photo taken by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Scott Strazzante showed a head-on shot of a somber Shanahan hugging Kittle, whose face was obscured from the camera. Shanahan had one hand on Kittle’s neck as he consoled the veteran tight end in his last game of the season:
Here’s that iconic photo:
San Francisco 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan embraces George Kittle after Kittle was injured in 2nd quarter against Philadelphia Eagles during NFL Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, January 11, 2026. @sfchronicle photo by… pic.twitter.com/rJSt0ZiNOq
— Scott Strazzante (@ScottStrazzante) January 11, 2026
So heartbreaking.
Kittle saw his 2025 campaign get cut short due to a devastating injury after missing six games in the regular season due to a hamstring tear and an ankle sprain. It’s unfortunate that Kittle won’t get to join the 49ers on their playoff run this year, having served as one of the team’s most charismatic and outspoken leaders for the last near-decade, but the show must go on for San Francisco.
“When you lose a leader like that, you never really lose him because his presence is still in this locker room, his energy is still here. We’re praying for him, love him, going to play for him the rest of the way,” McCaffrey said of Kittle.
The 49ers will face off against their NFC West foe, the No. 1-seeded Seattle Seahawks, in the divisional round next week.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Photo of Kyle Shanahan Hugging George Kittle After Season-Ending Injury Is So Sad.
