The San Francisco 49ers suffered a tough 13-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night. They are still headed to the playoffs, but they will not earn a first-round bye or home-field advantage. Even so, a favorable and perhaps easier matchup could be in play, which is why George Kittle did not shy away from sharing who he will be rooting for on Sunday.
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Without star offensive lineman Trent Williams on Saturday, the Niners looked like a shell of themselves offensively. They managed just three points, their lowest output of the season by a wide margin. Their next-lowest scoring game came back in Week 8, when they scored 15 points in a loss to the Houston Texans.
Now without the bye, the 49ers will have to take the harder road to the Super Bowl. But, things could break their way if other results fall into place on Sunday. That is why Kittle made a point to show his support for the Arizona Cardinals.
“Hey, we get to play football next week. Whoever it is, whatever happens, go Cardinals,” Kittle told the media after the loss. “My confidence is the exact same. I’m looking forward to whoever we play. Let’s go, Budda [Baker] and Trey McBride.”
Both Baker and McBride play for the Cardinals. So, why was Kittle supporting the in-division rival? If Arizona can beat the LA Rams on the road, then the 49ers would face the NFC South winner in the first round of the playoffs. Both of those teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, have a losing record.
Of course, Kittle could also be throwing some shade at the rival Rams. But the fact that he has to root for another divisional rival proves that this is more about playoff positioning.
After all, if the Rams do beat the Cardinals, which is expected to happen, then Kittle and the Niners would have to face the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round. As the defending champs, we don’t need to tell you why they want to avoid that scenario.
Unfortunately for Kittle and the 49ers, this scenario is the most likely outcome. The Rams are 14.5-point favorites against the lowly Cards. So, San Fran should be gearing up to travel to Philly.
George Kittle said “Go Cardinals”
•If Cardinals win, the 49ers get the NFC South winner.
•If Cardinals lose, the 49ers likely play the Eagles.Is this shameless by Kittle?
— Polymarket Football (@PolymarketBlitz) January 4, 2026
All in all, this playoff scenario, with the Niners meeting the Eagles on the road, is the worst possible outcome for Kittle and company. Right now, San Francisco’s defense is banged up and has been playing poorly.
The Eagles, however, should have more than enough offensive firepower to overwhelm the visiting team. On the other side of the ball, they also have the personnel to build a solid lead against San Francisco.
And that’s why Kittle’s remarks came off as a bit of wishful thinking. Nobody truly expects the Cardinals to pull off the upset on Sunday. But if they can, it would save the Niners from having to face one of the toughest first-round challenges a 12-5 team can draw.
