The Chicago Bears got some major help on Saturday in their playoff hunt, and a longtime fan is pretty stoked.
San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle grew up a Chicago Bears fan. He may have been born in Packer country, but the former Iowa Hawkeye is a self-proclaimed lifelong Bears fan — and he still cheers for the Bears if it’s not a head-to-head matchup with his Niners.
Saturday afternoon, Kittle and the 49ers battled it out in an all-important NFC West showdown with the Arizona Cardinals. On one hand, the Niners had already been eliminated from playoff contention. It was all about pride for them — and beating a divisional rival, of course.
On the other hand, the Cardinals were practically in a must-win scenario. In order to stay ahead of the Bears and hold onto the seventh and final seed in the NFC, Arizona had to beat San Francisco — which they did not.
C.J. Beathard tossed three touchdowns in a start and the Niners got a huge game from running back Jeff Wilson (22 carries for 183 yards), and San Francisco won by a score of 20-12.
It was Kittle’s first game back from a foot injury after missing nearly two months, and he put in his share of the work with four catches for 92 yards. Following the win, Kittle seemed pretty thrilled, not only to be back on the field, but to have helped the favorite franchise of his youth.
The full video, which appeared on the 49ers’ YouTube stream, caught Kittle on a hot mic after he had stepped down in the snippet above. The mic caught Kittle saying something not quite suitable for television, but good enough for Bears fans to give the man a fist bump:
“I f***ing love the Bears.”
They say old habits die hard and true love is forever, so the above sentiment makes perfect sense in all reality. The guy plays professional football for one franchise but still holds another one near and dear to his heart.
With the help from Kittle and the Niners, the Bears now enter Sunday’s matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars having a bit more motivation.
There is a legitimate shot Chicago makes the postseason. Yep, believe it or not, after all the gloom and doom this team has endured over the middle portion of the season, they have a chance to make it into the playoffs.
In fact, they do control their own destiny in a way.
Should the Bears beat Jacksonville on Sunday, and the the Packers in Week 17, they’re in. That’s it. They’re in.
However, on the off-chance they lose one of their final two games, the Bears can still make it to the postseason if the Cardinals lose once more in Week 17 to another divisional rival, the Los Angeles Rams.
It’s an important weekend for the Bears’ playoff hopes, and it’s off to an ideal start. On to the Jaguars.
