San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle suffered a devastating Achilles injury, leaving fans with the loss of one of the NFL’s most dynamic players.

The setback comes at a point when the 49ers relied heavily on Kittle’s performance. WNBA star Caitlin Clark knows the feeling firsthand, having been sidelined for a majority of the 2025 herself.

Sharing a post on Instagram, he wrote,“Football sucks sometimes. But I love it. I love these guys and this team. Heartbroken but have felt so much love and support from everyone reaching out. I’ll be good. Thank you. We aren’t done yet! Also when your team owner is the first person to meet you in the locker room, you know you’re in a special place. Cheers, all my love.”

Among the first few to comment was Caitlin Clark. “You’re gonna be back better than ever. We are proud of you!”. The 'we' in Clark's comment comes from the shared Iowa roots the NFL Star and 2024 ROTY have in common. But CC was not the only Iowa alum in the comments. Kate Martin dropped in too “Wishing for a speedy recovery!”

Cameron Brink, Tyrese Haliburton, Trae Young and James Harden were a few other notables names who left heartfelt messages for Kittle. The 6'4 2017 draft pick has racked up more than 8,000 receiving yards and 52 touchdowns, cementing his status as one of the league’s elite.

The NFL star has been supportive of Caitlin Clark since her college days

This is not the first interaction between the Iowa natives. Kittle and his wife Claire are both former Iowa alumni. Kittle played football at Iowa whilst Claire was a basketball player herself. The two have always been close to their alma mater.

Furthermore, the duo showed up at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 2024 to cheer on the Hawkeyes during Caitlin Clark’s final home game before entering the WNBA draft. As the Hawkeyes advanced to the Sweet Sixteen after defeating West Virginia, Kittle shared a photo with Caitlin Clark.

Since then, the shared pride for Iowa has translated to supporting each other even at the pro level.

While Kittle’s injury is a setback for the 49ers and coach Kyle Shanahan, his optimism and support from fans and fellow athletes like Clark provide a silver lining. Just like Kittle’s message, the 49ers are not done, and neither is the Hawkeye spirit that ties Iowa athletes together.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu