NFL levies $13.6K fine on 49ers’ George Kittle for explicit shirt

The NFL has fined the San Fransisco 49ers’ tight end George Kittle for his “use of abusive language” on the T-shirt in Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Kittle showed the “F*** Dallas” shirt he was wearing underneath his jersey after a winning score in the fourth quarter. The four-time Pro Bowler also posted a picture of the shirt on Instagram, celebrating both the win and his 30th birthday.

The league was reportedly considering the fine on Wednesday. While awaiting the decision, Kittle stayed nonchalant and did not show any concerns as he expected that he would “probably get a fine.”

“I wore a personalized T-shirt, maybe an inappropriate word,” Kittle said, as quoted by ESPN. “Yeah, I mean, that’s fair. It is what it is. It was a decision I made. If they want to fine me, they fine me.”

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported Friday that Kittle received a $13,659 fine for “unsportsmanlike conduct.” The amount surpasses the standard penalty of $10,927 for displaying “personal messages” on the field, as stated in the NFL fine schedule.

No animosity

“These are two of the most storied franchises in history,” Kittle said in a pre-game NBC Sports interview on October 5. “Dallas wins a lot of games; the 49ers win a lot of games. So when you get to meet up on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ it’s a big deal. I know our fan bases love it. We love it.”

When questioned about Kittle’s T-shirt incident during a Friday morning segment on KNBR 680-AM, 49ers’ general manager John Lynch merely responded with a laugh.

“I guess the laugh says it all,” he said. “I’ve had people close to George reach out, could you talk to him? We try not to muzzle our players. There are consequences for actions.”

Alongside Kittle, three other 49ers have been fined for unnecessary roughness this season. They are Deommodore Lenoir, Jauan Jennings and Trent Williams. Lenoir received a $5,618 fine after a Week 1 game against the Pittsburg Steelers, while an illegal blindside block earned Jennings a $21,855 fine in Week 2.

Meanwhile, Trent had to pay a $11,473 fine over a “love tap” altercation with New York Giants defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson in Week 3.

‘Biggest’ 49ers game this year

Kittle himself displayed a strong performance in Sunday’s game. He had three touchdown catches, eventually leading to the 49ers’ victory. He was also the first 49ers to clinch three touchdowns in one game in recent years, with the same feat achieved by Vernon Davis back in 2009.

Coach Shanahan said the team knew the match was their “biggest game so far this year as far as nationally.”

“Sometimes you worry your team can get too up for stuff…. They were so locked in all week,” Shanahan said. “They didn’t make too big a deal of this game and were ready to go.”

The 49ers’ offense continued its momentum from the previous week, moving 75 yards in seven plays on the opening drive.

With this win, the 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles have become the only teams with no losses this season. Their next game is against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.