When George Kittle talks about former teammates, you can tell the memories still carry weight. And as the 49ers gear up for a marquee Monday Night Football clash in Week 16, one of those memories is set to come to life - with a twist. Kittle will be lining up across from a familiar face: DeForest Buckner.
Kittle and Buckner shared three seasons together in San Francisco, and it’s clear the respect between them runs deep. “DeFo is one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever played with,” Kittle said after Thursday’s practice.
“What an inspirational guy to go to work with every single day. And he’s 6'9", explosive, fast, long arms.
He’s a freak of nature. Huge fan of DeFo.”
That’s not your typical pregame soundbite - that’s a player remembering a teammate who left a real mark. Buckner wasn’t just a physical presence on the field - though at nearly 6-foot-9 with elite athleticism, he certainly was that - he was a locker room guy, a tone-setter, someone who brought energy and connection beyond the Xs and Os.
Kittle recalled one of his favorite Buckner moments from the 2019 season, a year that still stands tall in recent 49ers history. In a high-stakes matchup against the Seahawks, Buckner scooped up a fumble and rumbled into the end zone. It was a momentum-swinging play in a rivalry that never lacks intensity - and a prime example of Buckner’s knack for rising to the moment.
But for Kittle, the most lasting memories weren’t just about game-day heroics. It was the off-field camaraderie that made Buckner special.
“I thoroughly enjoyed that he liked to do stuff outside of football,” Kittle said. “Off the field, he was always here for OTAs and he’d always have things to do, whether it was a Sharks game or getting guys to go to his house.
He’d always just have something to do, and I really appreciated that coming from a defensive lineman.”
That kind of leadership - the kind that shows up in offseason workouts and team bonding events - is rare, especially from a defensive tackle. It’s no wonder Kittle still speaks so highly of him.
Buckner’s departure in 2020, via trade to the Colts, was one of the more difficult decisions of the Kyle Shanahan era. The move was business, but it stung - not just in the locker room, but throughout the organization. Shanahan himself called it one of the hardest things he’s had to do as the 49ers’ head coach.
And now, for the first time since the trade, Buckner will be back in Levi’s Stadium - but this time, wearing Colts blue. Alongside fellow former Niner Samson Ebukam, Buckner will be looking to make an impact against his old squad. Kittle joked about the potential matchup: “Hopefully he stays on the inside and I don’t have to deal with him.”
The 49ers Faithful will no doubt give Buckner the respect he’s earned, but come kickoff, all that nostalgia turns into competition. San Francisco is chasing playoff positioning, and the Colts are fighting for their own postseason hopes. Emotions will run high, but so will the stakes.
For Kittle and Buckner, it’s a reunion years in the making. But once the whistle blows, old friends become opponents - and the memories will have to wait until after the game.