George Kittle “appreciates” Eagles fans and the respect is now mutual

George Kittle has been around. Nine years in the league, seven Pro Bowls, and enough road games to know the difference between a loud stadium and a place that actually makes you feel it in your bones.

And this week, ahead of the 49ers vs. Eagles NFC Wild Card matchup, Kittle basically summed up Philadelphia in the most Philly way possible.

George Kittle on Eagles Fans:

"Every road team that goes in there—they hate us equally, and I appreciate that. They flip you off. They moon you. It's incredibly loud. But they do that to anybody. I appreciate that because you can tell how much they love their team."

George Kittle on the Philadelphia fans pic.twitter.com/X3jWlAHryj

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) January 8, 2026

“The one thing that’s really unique about Philly is that… any other road team that comes in there, they hate all of us equally and I just appreciate that,” Kittle told reporters Thursday. “It’s incredibly loud, they flip you off, they moon you on your bus ride in, but they do that to anybody… It doesn’t matter if you’re the Niners, it doesn’t matter if you’re the Jacksonville Jaguars… you can tell how much they love their team.”

That’s the brand. Equal opportunity hostility, powered by love for the game.

We all know what Lincoln Financial Field is when the Eagles are rolling. It’s not “hostile” like the broadcast likes to say. It’s hostile like you can feel your soul leave your body when the Birds convert on third-and-long.

Since 2021, the Eagles have the third-best home record in the NFL at 29-13 at The Linc.

That’s home-field advantage with teeth and when a veteran like George Kittle is out here saying the quiet part out loud, it hits different. It confirms what Eagles fans already know and what opposing teams pretend isn’t real until they’re staring at the play clock with 8 seconds left and 70,000 people trying to rattle your fillings.

George Kittle also said the “Philly fans are awful” stories depend on who you sit with

Here’s the part that will get ignored by the national “Philly is evil” crowd.

George Kittle said he’s heard both sides. Some visiting fans have a brutal experience. Others are totally fine. He even mentioned a friend wearing a Kittle jersey who said people “couldn’t be nicer” and that he had a great time.

That checks out. Philly is not complicated.

Don’t be a jerk, don’t look for problems, don’t act like you’re on a safari, and you’ll probably be fine. Sit near the wrong drunk idiot who thinks he’s auditioning for a documentary and yeah, your afternoon might stink.

This is basically what Maxx Crosby said too

Kittle’s comments follow the same theme we just heard from Maxx Crosby last month, when he called Philly a “grimy” football environment in a way that was clearly meant as a compliment

Maxx Crosby loved playing in Philly, is clearly dying to be an Eagle

When respected veterans say this stuff publicly, it lands. It’s mutual respect. They are not praising the “niceness.” They’re praising the fact that Philly makes games feel like games.

Look, I’m not here to hand Kittle a flower bouquet

He plays for the 49ers. We are not doing that. At the very least, he understands. He didn’t whine. He didn’t do the “classless fanbase” routine that we’ve heard all week from 49ers fans and their sports talk radio hosts. George Kittle basically said, “you all are insane, and I respect it.”

Now bring that appreciation to the Linc on Sunday and see how much you enjoy it when it’s your offense trying to communicate. Philly doesn’t care who you are. They hate you equally and that’s beautiful.

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