George Kittle and the San Francisco 49ers know they are going to make it to the NFL Playoffs this season. They are now waiting to see who their first opponent is.
As the 49ers pay attention to the Arizona Cardinals, who play the Los Angeles Rams, the results of that matchup will help make the determination. Kittle made his thoughts clear, which led to speculation that the 49ers are ducking the Philadelphia Eagles.
“We get to play football next week, and whoever that is and whenever that happens, uh, go Cardinals,” Kittle said during his recent postgame press conference.
NFL Fans Begin to Speculate
George Kittle said "Go Cardinals"
— Polymarket Football (@PolymarketBlitz) January 4, 2026
•If Cardinals win, the 49ers get the NFC South winner.
•If Cardinals lose, the 49ers likely play the Eagles.
Is this shameless by Kittle?
Pic.twitter.com/06p6zbPTcN
@ah_pod: looks like kid rock is scared
@MakaveliMemez: Niner’s want no part of Philly.
@DAT_BABA_YAGA: He knows what the reality is. Most likely the 49ers are in Cancun in two weeks.
@HerndezB37: I’d be scared too, GO BIRDS
Kittle later stated that his confidence is the “exact same” and that he’s personally looking forward to whoever the 49ers play. However, he tossed in a “let’s go Budda [Baker] and Trey McBride,” which didn’t help his case as he walked away from the podium.
@DavidDJohnson: Not shameless but definitely hopeless if he’s relying on the Cardinals.
@NoahF31511: Absolutely, he’s ducking the smoke and that’s not a superbowl winning mindset… he’s content with just winning one playoff game and going home
@D1EliteHater: Lil bro scared of Jalen hurts???
@Keanu_Reads24: So he basically just confirmed that they’re scared of the Eagles
The 49ers would end up in a worse seed if the situation plays out the way Kittle prefers. Typically, that wouldn’t be a scenario to root for, but most fans and teams would understand Kittle’s logic, all “smoke ducking” accusations aside.
A Cardinals win would help the 49ers secure a round-one battle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Carolina Panthers. Neither team will finish with over nine wins. The NFC South was by far the roughest division this year.
The other scenario puts the 49ers in the ring with the Chicago Bears or the Eagles, with the latter scenario being the most likely. It’s no secret that the defending Super Bowl Champions on the road would be the more difficult opponent at this time.
While the Eagles could work their way into the two-seed to pick up a matchup against the Green Bay Packers, or draw the Rams in the first round, the 49ers are currently the most likely opponent for Philadelphia. Kittle is clearly hoping for an Arizona upset to pick up a more favorable opponent.