The recent passing of political activist Charlie Kirk has stirred up a lot of conversations across the country, including within the sports community. Among those drawn into the discussion is none other than George Kittle, who plays tight end for the San Francisco 49ers.
Earlier this week, a post surfaced from a Facebook page called “Red and Gold Legacy”, which incorrectly suggested that Kittle had commented on Kirk’s death.
The misleading post claimed: “I love football because it unites people. But lately, I’ve seen politics being dragged into it far too often. Charlie Kirk may matter to some, but he has no place in the NFL. Football is for the fans, the competition, and the love of the game — not for politics.”
To counter these falsehoods, Kittle took to his Instagram stories to set the record straight for his 1.6 million followers. He explained the situation clearly:
“A couple of things… this is a fake quote. I hope most of you realize that. Also, that above account only posts fake news/reports, please ignore them. The wild messages I’m receiving from people made me have to address it. Have a good night.”
It’s also worth noting that the Red and Gold Legacy Facebook page has been removed since the incident.
Alongside Kittle, fellow 49ers player Christian McCaffrey was also the target of false attributions related to Kirk. A separate post from another Facebook group, “San Francisco 49ers Fans Forever”, falsely quoted McCaffrey as honoring Kirk’s memory.
However, McCaffrey hasn’t responded to this misinformation yet.
On a different note, Kittle has been recovering from a hamstring injury that he sustained during the 49ers’ season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. He has been placed on the injured reserve list, which means he will miss at least three more weeks, including the upcoming home game against the Arizona Cardinals.
This report also includes contributions from the Associated Press.
