George Kittle scores but questions arise over decision not to kneel

On September 27, 2026, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 36-30. In the closing moments of the game, George Kittle scored a touchdown instead of taking a knee, leaving the 49ers vulnerable to a last-minute comeback attempt from the Cardinals. Kittle later noted he should have gone out of bounds or taken a knee, pinpointing that he was not instructed otherwise. Head coach Kyle Shanahan accepted responsibility for not reminding Kittle to run the clock down. The Cardinals tried to mount a final drive but were unable to recover an onside kick after a late field goal attempt failed.

• 1:50 PMYahoo Sports — Why didn’t George Kittle take a knee? Kyle Shanahan didn’t tell him to