Kittle Sets 49ers Tight End Touchdown Record

George Kittle's fourth-quarter touchdown gave him 56 career touchdowns as a San Francisco 49ers tight end, passing Vernon Davis's 55 for the franchise record, and sealed a 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos on Oct. 4, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. He caught a screen behind the line against a blitz, outran Talanoa Hufanga and scored. Most sources listed 56 yards; ClutchPoints reported 55. NFL Next Gen Stats clocked him at 19.84 mph on his second-longest touchdown in seven seasons. He spiked the ball and drew congratulations from Jordan Watkins, Brayden Willis and Deebo Samuel Sr. The 49ers rose to 4-0. Kittle turns 33 on Friday. Kittle had Achilles tendon surgery in January 2026 and missed the Jan. 11 wild-card win over Philadelphia. After two catches for 12 yards in Week 1 in Australia, he totaled 232 receiving yards and four touchdowns in Weeks 2-4. He said acceleration returned from Week 2 on after he felt totally weird in Australia. Christian McCaffrey said Kittle's daily offseason grind is showing and that Kittle always attacks full speed. Kyle Shanahan said he forgot the Achilles injury watching Kittle move and called him unbelievable since Australia.