Super Bowl LVIII started with the San Francisco 49ers marching down the field and getting deep into Kansas City territory. It did not, however, end with points, as Christian McCaffrey fumbled on the fifth play of the drive.
Points there would have been really big, because the Niners ended up leaving a whole lot of points on the board in the first half, which let Kansas City hang around despite not being at its best. As it turns out, San Francisco got a little unlucky with the fumble, as the cameras and a mic caught star tight end George Kittle — who has a reputation for being one of the league’s most upbeat and fun loving guys — slowing down for just a tick to say hi to Chiefs defensive lineman George Karlaftis. The problem: The fumble happened right next to them, and Karlaftis is actually the one who ended up falling on it.
George Kittle saying hi to George Karlaftis mid-play while the ball is loose
pic.twitter.com/tPu1CRAQzG
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) February 15, 2024
Again, this is more bad luck than anything for Kittle — I do not know for sure, but I would venture to guess that he does this on opening drives all the time. It would have taken one hell of a play for him to realize there was a fumble behind him and fall on it. But regardless, the next time you think of the insane ways that the Chiefs manage to make big plays in big moments in big games, here’s one for you to remember.
Source: https://uproxx.com/sports/george-kittle-couldnt-recover-fumble-super-bowl-saying-hi-george-karlaftis-video/
