49ers' George Kittle says he wants to join WWE after NFL career ends
San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle has no immediate plans to retire from football, but he already has a post-NFL goal in mind: stepping into the world of professional wrestling.
Appearing on the 'Bussin' With the Boys' podcast this week, the 31-year-old All-Pro made it clear that he will keep playing as long as the game remains enjoyable.
'Literally until I don't have fun anymore,' Kittle said Tuesday, June 24. 'Or if (my wife) Claire looks at me and goes, 'You kinda look like s— out there, you should retire.' I'll be like, 'All right.''
Kittle, who appeared at the BottleRock Napa Valley festival with teammate Kyle Juszczyk last month, is entering his ninth NFL season and remains one of the most productive tight ends in the league. In 2024, he led all players at his position with a 14.2-yard average per reception and topped 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth time in his career.
He is under contract with the Niners through the 2029 season, thanks to a four-year, $76.4 million extension signed last year.
But while his NFL career shows no signs of slowing down, Kittle has been vocal about his interest in joining WWE after retirement.
A lifelong fan of pro wrestling, Kittle has already made several guest appearances at WWE events, including a cameo at WrestleMania 39 where he assisted Pat McAfee in a match against The Miz.
'I would love to do WWE,' Kittle said on the podcast. 'I think there's definitely opportunity within that world, and I would love nothing more than to be a part of it.'
Still, Kittle emphasized he would approach the transition seriously.
'My only question mark with that is I so much love being a fan of WWE,' he said. 'I would only do WWE if I bought a ring and practiced my ass off for a long time so I wouldn't look like an idiot out there. I've been in a WWE ring like three times.'
He added, 'I don't know what I'm doing out there. I have an understanding of how it works, but I haven't moonsaulted off the top rope at WrestleMania like Pat McAfee did.'
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