George Kittle of San Francisco 49ers looking on.
George Kittle (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
Football fans are convinced that San Francisco 49ers superstar tight end George Kittle just leaked the team’s Week 1 opponent.

The NFL announced on Monday that it will release the schedule this Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. EST on NFL Network. And if George Kittle’s Instagram activity is any indication, the 49ers will open their season against a familiar rival.

On his Instagram story, Kittle posted a photo of his interaction with then-Green Bay Packer and current New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, back in the 2021 NFC Divisional Round at Lambeau Field.

And yes, those very Jets are slated to visit the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium this year.

Here’s how fans on social media responded to Kittle’s intriguing post:

As part of the NFL’s schedule rotation, the AFC East (Jets, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots) will play the NFC West (49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks). That means the first showdown between George Kittle’s 49ers and Aaron Rodgers since the 2021 Divisional Round.

So barring a showdown in the Super Bowl, the Jets-49ers 2024 meeting will most certainly mark the final chapter of Rodgers’ iconic rivalry with his childhood team. Based on the NFL’s schedule rotation, the Jets and 49ers wouldn’t meet again until 2026, when Rodgers would enter his age 45/46 season.

George Kittle & 49ers Try To Get Over The Super Bowl Hump

No team has suffered more NFL heartbreak over the last five years than George Kittle’s San Francisco 49ers, who have lost two Super Bowls and a pair of NFC Championship Games since 2019.

Both those Super Bowl losses came at the hands of Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs. And in both cases, the Chiefs erased 10-point deficits to win the game.

The good news for 49ers fans is that they’re running it back with the same core. George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa round out a star-studded 49ers roster that has more than enough pieces in place to win a sixth Lombardi Trophy.

AFC Contender Lands 49ers Superstar WR Deebo Samuel In Blockbuster Trade Proposal That Would Shake Up The Super Bowl Odds

Deebo Samuel of San Francisco 49ers looking on.

Deebo Samuel (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Along with teammate Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was widely mentioned as a potential trade candidate during last week’s NFL Draft.

When the 49ers drafted Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 selection, it certainly felt like Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel would be traded. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner recently reported that the 49ers were “taking calls on both,” but a deal never materialized for either superstar.

Of course, it’s not too late for a Samuel trade to transpire if the right offer comes along. Remember, Khalil Mack was traded from the Oakland Raiders to the Chicago Bears just days before the 20218 season began.

Plenty of teams could use Samuel’s all-world abilities, but one contender in the AFC stands out as an ideal landing spot for the 28-year-old. That would be Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills, who desperately need a capable No. 1 wide receiver after trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans last month.

 

Buffalo used the No. 33 pick on Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman, but asking him to replace Diggs’ All-Pro production is a little unfair for a rookie. Free agent signing Curtis Samuel, who hasn’t topped 851 receiving yards in a season, is better suited as a No. 3 receiver.

What The Bills Should Offer For Deebo Samuel

Considering Buffalo only got a 2025 second-round pick from Houston for Diggs, it’s fair to assume that Brandon Beane won’t have to give up a future first-rounder for Samuel. The latter is three years younger than Diggs, but the Houston star has endured far better production.

Buffalo should offer San Francisco its 2025 second-round pick (Beane has Houston’s 2025 second-rounder in his back pocket) and a 2025 fourth-round selection.

Trading Samuel opens up valuable cap space for San Francisco to extend Aiyuk in the long term. They can even use the additional draft picks from Buffalo to swing a trade for another quality wide receiver.

The Bills’ new-look offense would consist of the two Samuels and Coleman. Acquiring Deebo would go a long way in helping Buffalo close the gap with the Kansas City Chiefs and remain a powerhouse in the AFC.