Total Pro Sports
San Francisco 49ers superstar tight end George Kittle pulled off an Antonio Brown and considered retirement…all because of one NFL rule change.
In April, the 49ers and George Kittle agreed to a lucrative four-year contract extension worth $76.4 million. And yet, a recent NFL rule change nearly prompted the All-Pro tight end to walk away before ever seeing a dime of that deal.
While teammate Fred Warner was being interviewed by the NFL Network, Kittle crashed the party and announced that the league has banned smelling salts and ammonia packets. Kittle, who uses them for every drive, admitted that the ban prompted him to consider retirement.
“I considered retirement. We have to figure out a middle ground,” Kittle said, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Smelling salts are frequently used by professional athletes to enhance their alertness, focus and reaction time. As one of the league’s premier tight ends, George Kittle has certainly benefited from using the salts.
#49ers George Kittle just crashed our set to break news that the NFL banned smelling salts and ammonia packets today. Says he uses them every drive.
“I considered retirement. We have to figure out a middle ground.” pic.twitter.com/g8FJxJ1d5z
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 5, 2025
George Kittle crashed the NFL Network set to drop the news that the league banned smelling salts and ammonia packets today — and he admits he uses them every single drive. pic.twitter.com/1orx0wzhOa
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 5, 2025
This sounds similar to the 2019 controversy with then-Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown, who threatened to retire after the NFL banned his preferred helmet model. Luckily for the 49ers, the future Hall of Famer isn’t actually ready to call it quits.
Last season, George Kittle caught 78 passes for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns en route to a sixth career Pro Bowl nod. The 2017 fifth-round pick has exceeded the 1,000-yard mark in four of his eight NFL seasons, though the number would be higher if not for injuries.
The 49ers are coming off a disappointing 6-11 season and last-place finish in the NFC West, but they’re bringing back a star-studded core led by Kittle, Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.
San Francisco kicks off the 2025 season with a road tilt against the NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field (4:05 p.m. EST).
Also Read: San Francisco 49ers Sign Former 1,000-Yard Wide Receiver With The Best Name In The League
