Claire Kittle Noted 'Level of Disappointment' During Tough 49ers Season

According to Claire Kittle, the wife of San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle, there’s still reason for optimism in the midst of a hugely disappointing season for the franchise. 

The 49ers officially saw their playoff chances evaporate on Sunday, December 22, one season removed from winning the NFC and taking the Kansas City Chiefs to overtime in February’s Super Bowl LVIII. 

In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly on Wednesday, December 18, just days before the 49ers’ playoff aspirations had totally expired, Claire, 30, gushed about the camaraderie inside the San Francisco locker room. 

“We have such a great group of guys and they all really love each other and hang out outside of football,” said Claire, who spoke to Us while promoting the Kittles’ collaboration with Zenni Optical. “They just enjoy spending time with each other and keeping that positive light.”

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Claire added, “They genuinely enjoy one another. That’s always good because that is definitely not the case in every locker room.”

Still, Claire couldn’t help but acknowledge the elephant in the room: the team’s losing record. 

“They’re competitors, they’re professional athletes. They want to win and want to be successful,” Claire said. “So yeah, of course there’s some level of disappointment. But you just take it as a learning experience and you try to really capitalize on the moments that you have left, because each year is so vastly different.”

She continued, “Teams change, you know? You don’t know if you’re going to play with your friends again or if you’re even going to be on the same team. As far as George, he really tries to focus on that and make it a good experience for everybody.”

The 49ers were officially eliminated from playoff contention when the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Rams, both ahead of them in the NFC standings, won their respective games on Sunday. The Niners would then lose to the Miami Dolphins 29-17 on Sunday afternoon. 

San Francisco has two games remaining on their schedule: Monday, December 30 at home against the Detroit Lions and Sunday, January 5 at the Arizona Cardinals. 

While the football season hasn’t exactly gone as planned, Claire thanked the scheduling gods for allowing the couple — who got married in April 2019 — to spend the holiday season at home. 

“We were just talking about it yesterday looking at our schedule and we were like, ‘I don’t know that we have ever had a Christmas Day just the two of us,’” Claire told Us. “We are looking forward to it.”

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While the couple gets a cozy Christmas together, Claire said there will be plenty of family time “the weekend after” at the couple’s home in California. 

It’s an extra special holiday season for the Kittles, who have teamed up with eyewear line Zenni Optical to unveil their latest line of 30 fresh styles for both men and women. 

“They’re just really great,” Claire said of the brand. “They give back to the community in the Bay Area. They do a lot of workshops in the area with the Niners that we get to be a part of. George and I have our hands in the entire design process. We pick and choose what we like, and send them our own inspirations. It’s been really fun for George and I to get to do that together.”

For more on the Kittles’ line with Zenni, which starts at just $35.95, visit the brand’s website.