San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle was forced to distance himself from a falsely attributed quote about the death of political activist Charlie Kirk.
Kittle, 31, responded to a post made by the Red & Gold Legacy account via Facebook on Tuesday, September 16, which allegedly quoted the superstar tight end.
“I love football because it unites people,” the quote read. “But lately, I’ve seen politics dragged into it far too often. Charlie Kirk may matter to some, but he has no place in the NFL. Football is for the fans, the competition, and the love of the game — not for politics.
“Couple of things … this is a fake quote,” Kittle responded via his Instagram Story on Wednesday, September 17. “Also, that above account only posts fake news/reports, so please ignore them.”
He continued, “The wild messages I’m receiving from people made me have to address it. Have a good night.”
The Facebook post in question has over 4,000 likes, over 600 comments and has been shared over 300 times.
“At least someone on the team is willing to step up,” one comment on the fake post read. “There are some on the team that admired Kirk’s ideology.”
Another comment read, “It’s not political at this point. It’s about humanity. And those who oppose it has little to no humanity left. This world is twisted.”
Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University on September 10. He was 31 years old.
The late political commentator was honored before the 49ers game against the New Orleans Saints at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome on Sunday, September 14.
Before kickoff, a moment of silence was held for Kirk and all others affected by gun violence.
The 49ers have not played a home game since Kirk’s death. They host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, September 21. The franchise has not announced if they plan to honor Kirk at any point before or during the game.
Kittle has not played since suffering a hamstring injury during the first half of the 49ers’ Week 1 game against the Seattle Seahawks on September 7.
He was placed on injured reserve on September 9, meaning he will miss Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, the September 28 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the team’s October 2 game against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
Kittle is eligible to return to the 49ers lineup on October 12, when the team travels to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers.
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