Cattle bids a heartfelt goodbye to the 49 lost in free agency originally appeared nbc sports birea
While the 49ers were able to move some of their players to free agency, many others have left on reported contracts with opposing teams.
It’s part of the business, but it’s never easy for athletes to say goodbye — something George Kittel showed on Friday with a heartwarming Instagram post.
Along with the heartfelt caption, Kittle posted several photos with his former 49ers teammates, who will play on different teams in 2023: right tackle Mike McGlinchey (Denver Broncos), quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (Las Vegas Raiders), safety Jimmy Ward ( Houston Texans), offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill (Tennessee Titans), cornerback Emmanuel Mosley (Detroit Lions) and linebacker Aziz Al-Shair (Titans).
None of the other 49ers will return, including defensive end Samson Ebukam (Indianapolis Colts), defensive tackle Maurice Hurst (Cleveland Browns), defensive end Charles Omenihu (Kansas City Chiefs) and defensive tackle Hassan Ridgway (Texans).
But luckily for Kittel and his 49ers teammates who weren’t on the market this season, there are plenty of players they’ll be welcoming back in 2023, including Center Jake Brendel and safety Tashaun Gipson.
There’s no denying some of the 49ers’ key contributors, whether starters or depth pieces, will be wearing different uniforms from here on out.
Connected: Why Hargrave found the 49ers’ free-agency pitch ‘shocking’
Thanks to players like Kittle and the rest of San Francisco, as well as the returning core some major additionsThere’s still a lot to get excited about.