49ers' Kittle: 'Hockey is the hardest sport'

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle may not be able to skate, but he has a growing admiration for the game of hockey.

Kittle has a budding bromance with Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg, who both spend most of their summers in Nashville. They were introduced through their girlfriends.

"It's been really fun to be friends with someone in another sport. I think hockey is the hardest sport because I can't skate to save my life. I don't understand how they can move like they do," Kittle told The Athletic's Adam Vingan. "I have an appreciation for it, and being able to be a friend with one of the best hockey players in the NHL has been pretty cool for me."

Kittle's position requires a unique skill set in which he's forced to block like an offensive lineman but catch passes like a wide receiver. He was named an All-Pro after his second straight 1,000-yard season and helped the Niners reach the Super Bowl.

Despite possessing rare athleticism of his own, Kittle is blown away by what Forsberg and other NHLers are able to do on the ice.

"The fact that Fil is more comfortable on skates than he is on land or grass is just insane to me," Kittle said. "I have the fake ice and a hockey goal and I get out and shoot sometimes, especially now when I'm stuck at home. I don't know how they do that stuff while on skates. Everything that they do, they're playing at high speed at all times. It's physical. It's a grind. It's a ton of games. You're traveling everywhere. I just respect the grind.

"I just respect the whole game of hockey. I think, honestly, it's just a beautiful masterpiece when it's played well."

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