George Kittle on 49ers' Undefeated Start & Giants' Pitching Problems With Andy Baggerly

0:00Now back to Merfin Marcus on the sports leader streaming live on these sports leader dot com at KNBR the sports leader app Merfin Marcus is sponsored by Bigelow T grab a mug and T proudly nice well nice well unfortunately what you see is what you get with the Giants is unfortunate here it is time to talk to Andy Baggale our final regular hit of the year with Andy before today's 11 am Buster Posey Zach Manazzi and Tony Vitelopress conference and he baggles always sponsored by Marin Health with top physicians surgeons and clinicians right here in the North Bay Marin Health put you closer to your best health world class care closer than you think so Marcus Pushe out today Larry Krueger in and Andy well here we go 11 am today what do you think would be the best thing for Buster Posey to tell the media and the fans come on in how are you? hey good morning guys got the best thing probably whoops I'm sorry we'll do

1:06better next time you know I just don't think we're gonna have any great revelations to come out of this press conference I think there's a lot of questions we're gonna have that maybe are gonna be a little they're gonna feel are gonna be premature to try to answer look we know what they have to do this offseason they've got to it do as much as they can to patch up this pitching staff and it's gonna be a challenge to do everything they would need to do to to create you know a pitching staff you could feel good about going the next season in the span of one offseason that that could be a really really truncated off season because you know the the whole sport is probably gonna you know pack up their tents on December one and and we're gonna have no transactions until we have a collective bargaining agreement so yeah there's there's a lot of things that are gonna be difficult I think for them to answer today but you know the questions have to be asked and there's a lot of them yep Andy Bagley will be there today we're all at 11 a.m. we'll be carrying this and you say pictures and so I mean are you talking about maybe spending big on

2:08free agent starting pitching me is that is that do you think generally with the giants are leaning towards doing you look at you know you ask Google who are the top free agent starting pictures terror school Freddie Peralta I mean these are the things because you know historically Andy those are always been like oh don't do that it's a pitcher who's going into his thirties and you give them seven years 250 million you will come to roulette or is that what they probably are thinking they need to do I would be surprised during the school market you know they have not traditionally been in the market for the top top starting pictures you know and you know you talk about a Freddie Peralta he's coming off a bad year but he's still probably gonna get a lot of money I think they're probably gonna spend more money on you know the the closer situation you know I got like Adrian Moore home would be perfect for them but you know everything I'm hearing is that you know he's he's his markets gonna start it like you know four or five years and maybe 20 million a season so you know are the giants gonna spend in that tier for for a closer we you know it didn't work out

3:12when they did it with Mark Balanson or Armando Neitas but you know I so I just think they have to be creative and try to add pitching in every way they can't in the role five draft in you know trading maybe a position player prospect for a pitching prospect in you know in Japan in the international market where there may be some free agent choices and yeah you know they just can't you know do a house or an amali and call it an offseason then everyone's gonna be okay with that I think they know that bags a great to talk to you again you know I was at a like a family function right around the trade deadline right after the trade deadline and I saw a couple of the giants owners that were were there at this function and and I sat side of it up to one of them I said yeah you know I was really hoping you guys could could do more at the deadline and this guy shared with me that the giants had a deal on the table that would have sent Willie Adamos to Toronto for Jose Barrios who I guess is he's coming off

4:17Tommy John is gonna miss a big chunk of the 27 season and the owners thought to me was like hey you know what there could be a lockout and so you know that this may wind up being by the time this Barrios is ready to pitch he you know the baseball could be back on you know what do you think of the idea of moving Adamos this offseason is do you think that's on Buster's list of things to do or do you think he's real satisfied with Adamos and and we'll bring him back in in 27 well I can tell you that nobody satisfied with Willie Adamos right now I mean you know he just had a brutal year he wasn't able to stay healthy he obviously had a lot of mental lapses those were well documented you know he was you know probably the worst shortstop in the major leagues defensively and you know this has to be a pitching and defense team and you know I I do think that you know when they signed them they they knew he wasn't gonna be a shortstop probably at the end of this deal but you're hoping he can make it you know two-thirds

5:17of the way through and and if they had a shortstop prospect who was ready to play in the big leagues right now you know if Joshua Gonzalez is you know 22 instead of 19 then I think that he's the shortstop next year Willie Adamos is being moved from other position they're gonna need him probably to bridge one more year as a shortstop and it's gonna be incumbent on him to be ready for the challenge to you know to to to make space basically pull Luis Arise and show everybody that he can still play the position at a you know an average level so you know Ron Washington told me he wants to be back next year and so I think that's maybe about the best news that you're going to get here because if if if wash is gonna be ready for Willie Willie's just gotta be ready for wash and but yeah would they look to trade him you know I'm I'm sure that if they could I think they they probably would consider it especially if it means they're not just dumping the entire contract I just don't know how they can do that without you know getting something meaningful back and by the way the same is true for

6:18Jones who Lee I mean if you look at Jones who Lee as popular as he is you know I don't think that they're going to look to trade him but I mean honestly if you break it down into just baseball and that's in bolts it's almost an imperative that they should try to trade him they have way more outfielders are all left-handed some of them have more upside you know Jones who Lee's a league average offensive player he's a below average defender his contract is backloaded he's I think he's made you know about 40 something million the first three years and it's gonna be close to 70 million the last three years you're not gonna get anything for him though you know I've heard fans say we'll trade generally for pitching well he's not gonna bring back pitching you're basically gonna be trading him as a free up his roster spot and a free up opportunities for other players and you're probably eating some of the money so you know with those two guys I mean they're they're a little bit the sun cost at this point until they prove otherwise. Talking Andy Bagley of course of the athletic who you can read all the time in the athletic.com and today's press conference 11 a.m. will be carried on KBR we just got word that our 49er player of the week George Kiddell is

7:18requesting an 8 30 a.m. t. time with us so we will move towards that yes exactly Larry started boning up on your Kiddell but not before we let bags go Andy there's a feeling I think around some in the building that they are almost quote unquote set positionally going into 2027 let's imagine there is baseball in 2027 like between Bryce Eldridge and Rafael Devers and Casey Schmidt and some of these young out the Gilbert and Cox situation et cetera like do you is that your belief that they feel like okay our concern isn't the the position players it's only the pitching like what what's your view of their how the organization views their position players well I do think they realize that they're going to have to spend basically all their time and tension bandwidth everything money on on pitching and and really they're going to have to hope that the position player court can stay healthier and be more complimentary next year so yeah I do think that they feel confident that they can have you know a better than league average offense even if they don't

8:21lift a finger to do anything next year you know there's still a lot of of question marks I think especially with the young catchers we know it was unfortunate Daniel Susette couldn't stay healthy but that wasn't hasn't been an issue for him in the past but you're putting a lot on a guy who is a rule five pick you know to to be the everyday starting catcher and and and and have a Kavanaugh you know basically be the backup you know I think I would like to see them get a little more experience behind the plate at least somebody who can be a backup but apart from that yeah I don't think they're going to do a whole lot to this position player group and you know whether it may be Marcel LeMire is a big piece because if he can show that he can be an everyday player somewhere on the infield you know maybe that allows him to float case he shoem it out to the outfield and they have a little more balance because they're really left handed in that outfield right now so but yeah there's I think that Cox is is a big piece for them his breakout rate was still way too high but he did a lot of really good things and and he's showing you

9:21maybe he could be a dynamic defender in center field you know so the question maybe just how much are these guys everyday players versus how much are they kind of platoon players you know do they have the complimentary pieces or do they have to go out and get you know a caddy or two at a different position and I would say that they probably have to think about getting a little more experience in terms of a backup catcher or a part-time catcher but but apart from that I think that they do feel like this is a group that they can roll with and then finally Andy for let's go is the we don't know how Tony V views his coaching staff he assembled Frank Anderson Justin message in this whole crew but obviously the pitching was so bad I mean the the knee jerk reaction is you make a change in the dugout we know Tony V's coming back so do you anticipate given what you know of the front office and how the how the coaching staff perform that there might be changes well they need to make changes that's clear they need to make changes for not in the personnel then how they employ them and how they go about you know getting ready for games and they got to

10:21study all that because this this was just a group that was not prepared and you know and and be cut by extension a lot of the players were not prepared and you know there's just a lot of road games especially that got away and you know I think there is a thought in the front office that this is mostly their fault that was mostly roster was not firm enough that they didn't do enough to fix the bullpen and all that is fair I think that and I asked Tony by tell us that question when I had my Q&A with him in Pittsburgh I said is this season a fair test of your abilities because you know no manager could have really you know posted a winning season with with the bullpen choices that they had on a daily basis I mean it was it was not a functional majorly bullpen and it kind of took their season down and along with a bunch of other things that went wrong so but yeah you know you never got the feeling that that this was a buttoned up group you know and and and I think that there's there's a lot it's still has that he still has to prove and you know one of the things that I think is going to be interesting is just how many changes will they make on the coaching staff we know that they will make changes you

11:23know Hector Borg didn't make it to the all-star break because you know he he lost the trust of his of the players to make decisions as a third base coach it just kind of snowballed on them it's too bad because he's a good guy and a good baseball guy but that change had to be made and it was made so we'll see how many other tough decisions that they actually make good stuff Andy will look forward to your coverage and look forward to today so thanks for hopping on yeah guys tell George the low for me I will do George Kittle well Andy's a Northwestern guy George and I was with the Big 10 thing right to Big 10 thing maybe in a Big 10 guy Larry I could tell you that that's right guys George Kittle is our foreign player the week next on these sports leader Tim Ryan here with your Bay Area team and four now get a California Explorer annual day use pass with your purchase or lease of a brand new Bronco or Bronco sport it's got goat mode like your players driving to the game or off-roading there's seven available modes Ford is America's number one for new vehicle quality among mainstream brands visit your California Ford dealer

12:24today proud partner of California State Parks named by JD Power 2026 US initial quality study award information visit JDpower.com slash awards awards based on 2026 model year Sanctuary of Hope changed my life I was only 19 scared pregnant alone they said there was only one way out but I wanted my baby to live I just didn't know how then I found sanctuary of hope they didn't judge me sanctuary of hope give me a safe place medical care someone to listen and the strength to become a mom today my daughter is here because sanctuary of hope made room for girls like me you can be that someone just twenty five dollars can help the next young mother find hope instead of fear give today at jhm.org slash hope or call one eight five five six nine four nine six four seven that's jhm.org slash hope or one eight five five six nine four nine six four seven

13:27sanctuary of hope because no girl should face this alone sponsored by Hageem ministries it's football season on polymarket trade your football predictions against other fans before and during the game you can even combine multiple trades with polymarket combos from OCOWC FB new customers deposit ten dollars and get fifty dollars instantly to start trading 18 plus C polymarkets terms of service more information about restrictions and eligibility the polymarket app is an independent affiliate of polymarket US and not CFTC regulated trade always involves risk complete loss can occur the fifty dollar offer is issued is not withdrawal trading credit for use on the platform offer exclusively available to first-time depositors not available in all jurisdictions now back to Merfin Marcus on the sports leader streaming live on these sports leader dot com at KNBR the sports leader app Merfin Marcos is sponsored by Big a low T grab a mug and T proudly his helmet is off and his mic is on that's a saccaruni baby time for our 49ers player of the week

14:32with Merfin Marcus sorry for your saccaruni buddy but hey there'll be more on the sports leader well only once a year do we get to get George Kiddles our player of the week you can pretty much lock up that he's a new player of the week at some point it comes early this year after two touchdowns on Sunday he's back what a story after the January injury it's only September he's back on the field score and touchdowns let's get into it George Kiddles on the UMA guest line is our player of the week sponsored by Big a low T grab a mug and T proudly he's also sponsored by Benjamin Moore Payne's experience the Benjamin Moore retail difference that are independently owned authorized retailers today or at Benjamin Moore dot com so with Marcus out today we got Larry Kruger in so George you got your boy Murf you got Larry good morning George how are you well it's how we doing also a hell of an adry man I do I've been doing it for a while let me tell you that okay so your professional or something kind of like you coming off the snap it's like I've done this before I know this route so once or twice so hey man let's go

15:35right let's start with the fun stuff dude who touchdowns on Sunday when you put your head on that pillow Sunday night how great the journey to come back from the injury and to be in the end zone twice in front of the home crowd how great was that feeling and how are you feeling RFC one it's all amazing anytime that you get a dub and Levi say to him it always feels great specifically into division rival but yeah I mean it's been a long journey and to be back on the field with the boys playing in front of that awesome crowd scoring touchdowns means a lot hard is definitely full it's feeling I mean feeling awesome definitely feeling three kinds of season I get some bunch of bruises but it's all good and it just makes you feel alive and I'll tell you that much well you were alive and well man 49ers are three and oh getting ready for the Denver Broncos on Sunday George when I looked at week one in Australia you looked good but I already feel like what you look like in week three is

16:36different than week one and are my eyes deceiving me or do you feel better in week three than you did in week one oh absolutely way better I mean I'm pretty sure I had about three practices on my belt going into Australia and there's always rust you have to play football to get good at football and so just each week I've gotten more and more confident really the number one thing is I've just been violently out of shape and so feeling way better got my legs underneath me can actually like stay attached in the run game not falling off a block can run more than two plays in a row without being winded so I just say each week we can week out the more practice they get the more games I play it's gonna just slowly click along and just get better and better it's amazing that you made this comeback as fast as you did George you know they were saying nine to twelve months was the estimate you came back you know prior to eight months and and you seemed really intent on coming back for week one when did you kind of feel like week one was a possibility for the first time

17:40was there a time that it hits you where I you know what I think I can make it back for week one yeah actually that hit in about I think it was just after July 4th I went in around Rouse with Purdy and I was just gonna do some jog through stuff and it just felt really good as my first attempt at running Rouse and I ran about 20 routes all you know probably like 80% and feel great about it and I was like oh wow like I'm like I'm not very yet but I'm pretty close and then we really just you know once I hit that those markers we kind of up my the rehab just a little bit extra more running more cutting more field stuff and then by the time I got a training camp I truly believe that a chance to play week one I mean I think I could have maybe came back a couple days and earlier in a training camp but you know we just want to be dumb about it but that mean we we we hit all the plans that we wanted to and even it's already a little bit so it was that that July 4th to run in our session definitely helped and did I mean did Kyle and John what role did they play in all this I mean I know it's

18:42the medical guys the trainers and all those guys you got you back but how much communication was there and did they ever say like hey man you don't have to be back for week one bro to 17 game season we're hoping to play in the playoffs what was the communication with Kyle and John and what did they want you to do they both just said look you're in charge of this you tell us when you think you're ready you tell us like the rest that you need a practice like tell us what you need to ramp up like just like they like you said long season but you know what you're dealing with you've been doing the rehab just tell us what you need and know what to score at that plan we trust you to make the right decision so I think you know I'll show it was definitely a tough one you know I wasn't you know I was a hundred percent you know healthy to be out there but you know out of shape and stuff like that so but I was good for me just you know it it's hard to come back for football in the middle of season so getting that week one I think definitely set me up for a lot of success against Miami and then in Arizona so but I think I think we handled it pretty well George Kittles of Voicey here he's our front-end player of the week

19:44two touchdowns on Sunday not as a three and oh George you are relentlessly positive you are the people's tight-end you are popular for a reason but you're also human and when the injury happened in January and maybe even into February how honest can you be with us and the listeners and the fans out there about just yeah it was tough like were there tough mental times for you you know that's a it's a good question like I never really had any dark days I mean besides like that those first couple days before the surgery you know pretty down and out but then I you know I went down to LA I met with Neil Eltrus and no just from where like where my MRI was like what showed like where the tear was he was very optimistic about it and he was pretty sure he forwarded me off the river they look man if you do everything and extra like you have a real chance to play week one you might not miss any time and I really think that like just that conversation allowing me to not have those dark days and yeah

20:46there's a annoying days when I'm going from you know out of my bed in the middle of the night onto a scooter to go to try to go to the bathroom at 3am that's not very fun pretty annoying um like besides that like I had great rehab people around me with a great plan around me uh Claire my wife was over the top supportive and anything that I needed honestly the best thing that about tearing your killies is one you can kind of do the rehab anywhere because like you're doing calf raises and marble pickups and also my wife wanted to move a bunch of stuff and I was unable to help her move anything and so that was that I was one of the benefits can't do it that was one of the benefits and you should see she looked at it she was like you I was like of all the unlucky things that could happen to you this could be the luckiest thing that could have happened you know you know that was that was an enjoyable thing so um but besides that I mean just I you just got to attack everything with positivity man like every single day just one step in the right direction that's all you need and so I just took a bunch of steps and hey now we're out here running man you guys have Evans you got Debo back you got

21:51yourself CMC Brock's playing like an MVP I mean things are good things are good hey what did you think of the uh the third play of the game hook and ladder that that was fun to watch oh so fun um I I I could be I think we had this installed for two years now so like it's always been up it hasn't been in every single game plan but like we installed it a couple years ago um I want to say I think I think the bills ran it and a third down like years ago um and you know we're we're using it and it's been up a couple times we practice it at time like you know you do the end of game plays and that's definitely one of that we practice and so to finally well I heard the play called the one I was like oh this is going to be sick to watch and then there's it's just something special I've seen Debo just run 20 miles 20 hours now right on the side that isn't it he's some special I mean Debo let's just stay on that for just a second I mean you know obviously contracts are a

22:53thing and departures are a thing and then he comes back and you it I believe was you when radio row at Moscone Center who said oh yeah we're playing in some reunions we're like wait what and sure enough I mean this Debo thing so what does he bring him back to you guys not just running 80 yards as Debo but also the the getting the band back together how's that how's that playing out look we drafted Debo in 2019 we want a ton of games a Debo he's an awesome superstar plays you know he has the or around him he gets Trent Williams height but like at the end of the day you know he's one of my favorite teammates I've ever played with and you become better friends with people you like have a brotherhood you find a love for guys and you go through stuff with and we've gone through a lot of stuff together you know and so to bring him back into the fold and he just knows exactly where to pick up completely selfless like does not care he just wants to win football games and you'll play good football and it's just he has brings this energy to the team

23:53that that you can't really replicate it and that that just like also like I think he might be Trent Williams biggest height man and so if you're going to try it you're doing something well too good stuff the offense is cooking George I mean you guys put up 36 points in 19 minutes Kyle's deep in his bag but we got to talk about Brock for a second because Brock is just we should talk about Brock he's he's damn good he's damn good he's been damn good since the beginning but this year he's really ripping it he looked all he's looked awesome and camp did you notice any difference this summer from Brock where has he improved from a year ago I'll tell you I think one thing just this offseason noticing about Brock I mean he worked out he's got the mindset for everything I think he took his like how much he threw in the offseason I think it seems like he changed up he threw a ton the whole offseason um no I wasn't doing a lot of catching form but he had other guys out there that I work out with runner out form did it throw on a ton of deep balls like

24:58just really forcing a ball down field I think you just kind of see that like you see that aggression and that his willingness to throw the ball down there like I mean I think he used to be called the yak merchant which I'm pretty sure he's like was last and then a third last two years in yak so I think he's he's proven that he pushes the ball down the field and he makes plays he extends plays with his legs I mean just I think he just has this huge level of confidence and it's it's just really fun to see out there man I get so fun to play with him such an athlete no that I mean I want you guys are going to do when you look at film and that one where he scrambled to the right and leapt up I think he was to Luke Farrell they didn't wind up giving him the catch might have made the catch but I mean I think it was I think it was a catch we should put that in Luke's dad give him a catch by the way speaking of stats how about debos zero receptions 80 yards that's the best stat of the year right there so but I might be but that's that playground pretty and listen we all loved Jimmy you used to wear a t-shirt with Jimmy's face on it used to go to Panda Express with Jimmy Jimmy took you guys to a bowl listen so Jimmy's family forever right but this guy is more of a

26:01playground athlete and that's kind of easy for all of us to see and it must be kind of wild for you like I can't give up on my route because Brock Purtie might still be scrambling back there you know what I saw a really funny tweet about him yesterday it said Brock Purtie had have been like the best recess quarterback of all time that's good that's good it's true like he has to like you could tell he has just like just like this love and this joy the game like he's playing it like football it's a kids game and that we're playing to be a paid a lot of money to play it but like he still has this like youthful joy for it and like going out and do those plays it's it's just so fun to watch like if you watch it too like just sometimes you have the three step job a three step drop and it'll just like do a little jump pass to get over the line of scrimmage and I like I giggle to myself every time I see that on tape and so like it's just it's it's so special to see that and when you have a guy that can just extend the play not take a sack can just spin out of everything run away from everything it's it just allows your offense and the film I mean there are five or six plays in that game where Brock had just been spun out of something and he

27:05either threw it away or was able to dump it down to somebody else and like that just extends driving like that's why we're allowed to stand the film score touchdowns you know Evans has been so so good and that catch that he made in the end zone this week George I mean he you know I just camouflaged it didn't put his hands up let the ball just drop right into his hands and it was a perfect dime by party what is it what does it mean to you guys adding a true Hall of Fame number one receiver what what does he added shoot man I mean one it's Mike Evans which is so sick because he's probably one of those underrated like all-time great I mean you go that many seasons over a thousand yards it's pretty special and so when you add someone like that who all he wants to do is win football games and like he attacks everything every single day with the right mind set the way things get a spotty I mean he goes out there I was so like he picked up our playbook so fast like no ma's always no what he's supposed to be doing and like you don't really have to coach

28:07him like yeah there might be like a route concept like Shanahan might make a new plan you go take Mike I need to do this and then this but there's no coachy points on top of it like he just understands how to get open like I'm pretty sure the play scored on he just had a go on it and he runs around in the way to make the corner think he's running the flant and he's wide open the back of the end zone it's just like he has all these little movements with his body he just knows how to get opening it to anybody and then you just bringing like that veteran presence of like excellence and that's what he expects every single day so when you bring in something like that a Hall of Pain player who's playing like a Hall of Famer it just makes everyone around you so much better and it's also funny because you can't double to anybody else because you can't really leave Mike Evans one on one it's just awesome the touchdown way and we're glad to hear that the rib injury was not overly serious I mean I'm sure it hurts like crazy but he is a day to day what's that again sorry it's stuck but yeah uh fracturing rib suck but uh you know what hey it Mike Mike's is done you know we'll do whatever what's best for the hand and what's best for the team we're not worried about it

29:10hey before let you go just on Kyle Trent had a quote after the game saying man his play calls are like Spanish to me like he doesn't understand so but you're the guy who has a no-home all because you're running the routes that this guy just continues to be on top of his game George and all the years you spent with him is he getting better is he just getting more complex what's your what's your relationship with Kyle and his playbook right now um Kyle's playbook is just ever revolving and I think it's like one thing like think back to like 2019 right as our third year and we had basically like a lot of the same coaching staff right like you had McDaniel's and the Flurr and I think like once you give him a couple years of like with his staff and they all figure out and they can like you know flow with each other I think that's when you see like our best offenses and then you know uh you know our in 2023 our offense was super efficient that was a couple years with um you know Flurry and our other OCs like Kubiak and then now you have Kubiak and you know Joe Graves his first year

30:15but like you just give him a little bit of time to like find the rhythm with these his coaches and I think they all just work off of each other so well because Kyle just he demands excellence I wouldn't say perfection but like he demands that of everybody in the building it doesn't matter if you're the assistant or a superist coach uh like he demands excellence out of you every single day and like I just people want to perform and people want to put together a good game plan because we have such a fun offense you know there's so many guys you can get the ball I mean last week you saw Kyle Uchek running the sail route uh you know for like 25 yards down to get us in the red zone and you scored the next play like how many teams are having their fullback line up and do that and so like he just gets so creative because he has so many pieces of the puzzle that he was put anywhere that he wants and uh when you give Kyle the freedom and you have a quarterback that he has confidence in he's just I mean I I think Kyle's just sitting there with his mom in his face probably a ton of stress every single week because I just know who he is but you know he's having a good time making these game plans it is unbelievable man you guys are I mean 36 point you got to roll at a bed and score 36 so uh and that's because Eddie missed two PATs would have been 38 all right George

31:18we will let you go I do I mean you know it's kind of like you do a morning show you kind of have to ask the one question about Madison Square Garden in the summer my question is when you went to Travis Kelsey's wedding the best appetizer past past appetizers like a little crab cake or like what like your Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey what do you how can you meet the past appetizer standard you got to go top shelf what was the best past appetizer there um you know what I would say the thing that I really enjoyed is they have like multiple tables of food and it was like you had like an Italian thing you had like a Chinese food thing you had to say like it was every option was available and then they had an entire table just of like 20 cakes all of it's like different like it was just everything was top notch and I had such a great time and it was just live music great good food's great I had a wonderful time the entire time well I mean listen it's off-season so you can have you know a couple pieces of those cakes right just one or two

32:22well you got 20 choices you might as well truck 12 yeah so anyway that's great I'm going Chinese I'm going Italian I'm going cakes it's good stuff man all right well listen you're a great friend to him obviously and to your to your new friend to Taylor so okay you're done you're done with player of the week you can go work out rest up rehab you survived Merff and Krueger and have a great time against the Broncos Sunday and keep making people happy George thanks for hopping on thanks for having board I'll talk to you next time there he is George Taylor the people's tight end on these sports leader Tim Ryan here with your Bay Area team and four now get a California Explorer annual day use pass with your purchase or lease of a brand new Bronco or Bronco sport it's got goat mode like your players driving to the game or off-roading there's seven available modes Ford is America's number one for new vehicle quality among mainstream brands visit your California Ford dealer today proud partner of California State Parks named by JD Power 2026 US Initial Quality Study Award information visit JDpower dot com slash awards awards based on

33:242026 model year its football season on polymarket trade your football predictions against other fans before and during the game you can even combine multiple trades with polymarket combos from OCO WCFB new customers deposit $10 and get $50 instantly to start trading 18 plus C polymarket terms of service for more information about restrictions and eligibility the polymarket app is an independent affiliate of polymarket US and not CFTC regulated trade always involves risk complete loss can occur the $50 offer is issued is not withdrawal trading credit for use on the platform offer exclusively available to first-time depositors not available in all jurisdictions a snarl in the woods ancient forest spirits nip at his heels he can outrun a force of nature on foot he needs an instant power machine built for the wild the only escape is in the Toyota BZ woodland off road handling all electric power leave evil in the dust John Joe stars in camping face to wild test drive Toyota's new all electric family atro local dealer Toyota let's go places

34:26listen to the sports leader anytime anywhere download KNBR the sports leader app Merfin Marcus continue live from the casino matrix progressive jackpot studios casino matrix progressive jackpot are here where are you just drop in 1 800 gambler all right what an interesting morning we got the word late last night that Marcus was ill and couldn't come in and crew answered the call out of the pen out in the nut god bless him thank you crew for getting up early you're listening to KNBR am a KNBR FM San Francisco these sports leader acumulus media station I know you got a boogie at nine I look at the nut because this was thrown to you late but so I got like a last couple minutes it with you buddy it's always great doing a show with you us you and me you and me the unks it only took us four minutes to start talking about Ricky Waters leaving the 95 Niners that's how we roll I was told that if we had mentioned Paul Hofer we were they were going to the pen for somebody else no I think we mentioned Paul Hofer and the numbers would have gone

35:27through the roof buddy but just last thought before you scoot at nine yeah on George Kittle just you know what you took from that interview there well you know George Kittle you don't work football you play football and George Kittle embraces that mentality of it's a kids game play it with joy and to me he personifies infectious joy for his craft and he makes the you know when he's in the room he's he's the swagger of their offense and I mean it was an amazing thing it shows how much he loves to play that old scout used to say to me he's he used to say you know what if guys you know guys who hate football find their way off the field and guys who love football find their way on it and that's George he found his way on the field after seven months and three weeks after a kill he's because he loves the game and it's it's awesome it's and it's and it's and it

36:30definitely impacts the rest of the room that's got was so right you're like well yeah duh obviously it makes sense and no it's true there is talent and then there's love of the game and that's the one thing that I in the years I spent NFL locker rooms was what separated those who succeeded in the NFL from those who didn't because you got players for days but you got guys who can they put up with the pain the physical pain can they put up with the mental test of the playbook can they put up with the stress and the pressure and not everybody can you see him crew you see guys who are high draft picks not just on the 49ers on any team guys it look it go look at look at every first rounder they don't they don't all make it they don't everybody's everybody's looking at their watch somewhere looking at their watch at home going man I got to get to the facility some guys are at the facility looking at their watch going man I got to get home you know what I mean so it's just and he's one of those guys that gets there early and stays late and you know it's a great he's a great example but he's also a very positive guy and he doesn't allow negativity to

37:31increase into his thoughts and it's powerful so I would say like Ted Lasso there you go right I mean it is kind of like Lasso there's a relentless positivity about George that is like that so all right before I let you go what do you got you got are you gonna work double you're gonna work night diners nightly nighters nightly tonight uh should cosmider is gonna join us from the athletic the Broncos beat rider and we'll chop it up on on the Broncos go behind enemy lines and that's every night this week right because you're not giant giants are done except for Thursday we're gonna be on YouTube because I think the Thursday night football game where's holer putting the baseball Walt is he putting it on 1050 is that what he's doing all right but where baseball is on all right Krueger off you go we we worked you until oh 900 on the dot and then you got a good to see you great see you buddy be good I'll see you soon okay sounds good there you go Larry Lawrence Krueger the same Ignatius Wildcat and we appreciate him stepping in on short notice you know Marcus came up sick which is very unusual Marcus doesn't do that very often and so we know

38:34he definitely is down and out but as a result Krueger stepped in so I don't know if indeed Marcus is out again tomorrow or the next day maybe the big JD coming in with warriors media day coming your way you know we haven't done any warriors all day so why are they now between now and I was gonna do some more Niners and Kittle riffing but between now and we got a little cooler content coming up loaded with stuff and then guys if you missed it we really have to tell the night of clock crowd this Dwayne Kiper is obvious it's public he's going through radiation for throat cancer I mean this is just incredibly tough and difficult stuff for all of us to to talk about for people we love so much like Krueger and Kipe but so Kipe said hey I have a radiation appointment I can't do the show and then you know what he called in this morning around 615 630 he was listening he goes yeah I can hop on at 7 and we got him and he was great so what we'll do at 930 this morning is talk about every play Dwayne Kiper so but I do this a little bit of the warriors just a

39:36little bit why not I mean come on warrior basketball did you guys see Steph and I don't do we have the Steph and Killian moment where Anne said to him you know hey you guys it must be pressure off you guys because I think it's Z4 Walt I think he says now listen this is a team of 137 games last year and what did they do in the offseason nothing nothing oh wait they drafted Yaxxil Landaburg and there's a lot of positive thoughts about Yaxxil Landaburg I liked him in college he's one of those guys who you know so we talk about George Kittle and loving to play and all that stuff Yaxxil's a guy who you want guys who've played through college because they know the game they're more grown up they're more mature now Yaxxil's kind of in a way almost like kind of I don't want to say immature is not the right word but he's got a little childlike nature about him that maybe sometimes might piss off the veterans I don't know but either way he's a guy with experience he has belts on the wall so he's going to be able to contribute right away whereas Caminga obviously

40:37couldn't guys like that who just don't know the game as well because they're freaking 18 years old right so so Steph is you know God bless him you resigned here everything all Steph's got to leave you gotta do this Steph's like no I'm coming back well first of all two years 116 is pretty good I saw where he has some sort of record and he's on a short list of players who've made over five or six hundred million with their contracts I can get to the exact stat but he's just on the short list of guys who've made that much money so yeah two years 116 with a player option for a third is pretty good and but was this does Steph truly believe in his heart that the Warriors can win another championship I mean I think 98% of you listening right now believe the Warriors can't win another championship anytime in the next two years Steph I don't know what in his heart of hearts is that he is settled here in the bay the family's doing good he loves you know the San Francisco Bay Area he loves Dremond he loves Kerr he loves you know that and he just kind

41:40of wants to ride it out maybe there's some of that to him does he truly believe he can make another championship if Jimmy Butler comes back and Moses Moody comes back and Mike Dunley he makes a trade at the maybe maybe there's part of him but either way he's back he ain't going anywhere and we get him for another couple years but you know and Killian kind of fairly asked the question like you know you guys don't have any expectations and Steph reacted in a funny way here it is hey Steph Steve was saying that he kind of likes that no one expects you guys to make the playoffs and that there's a little bit of freedom to flying under that that's how bad is to make the playoffs we're from championship to I'm just wondering what you think about that do you feel the freedom that's what I think about that he walked off he walked off now it was fairly good nature but as my dad told me many times many a truth is often said in jest so when somebody ribs you

42:43there's a little bit of truth in there right to flying under that that's how bad is to make the playoffs we're from championship to oh man so there you go I mean I don't know can the Warriors listen they haven't made the top six and how long what was the last time they made the top six well do you remember I don't top my head it's been a while I mean I can't remember yeah it's been play-ins for how many years in a row now well I mean 2022 obviously they won the championship but every year since then has it been playing I think it's been playing yeah every single year after the the championship I think dude I mean let me look that up for sure here just to get you guys I'm sure people are screaming at their car right now they know the deal but my brain doesn't work as well as it used to let's see let's in 2020 obviously well they made they won for they won 44 games in 23 and lost in the Western Conference semi-s to the Lakers but had that been was that a play-in season 2024 they did not make the playoffs 2025 they did make it to the semi's with 48 wins maybe they weren't in the plan then I don't know I can't remember guys it playing play-out it all just kind of blends into one for me anymore but the point of the story is

43:47is that you know Steph said wow that's how far we fall in we'll listen it's now coming up on the next June will be five years since they won the championship against the Celtics and Steph was a younger man Dreymo is a younger man we'll do that just a little bit more yeah I know right to keep that one around that might have to be in the warrior play win package this year which if you you know if you believe the pundits we won't be playing it that much warrior win package there to make the playoffs and we're from championship to um pods he spoke yesterday listen I'm gonna defend pods and I know that that makes me unpopular but I almost feel like somebody has to because he's not as bad as everybody says he is god does he piss off warriors fans I mean if this if you ran a popularity contest he might be dead last on the warriors for them so give me a little z 24 pods on what he focused on in the off season first of all he cut his hair so he was in Spain he was too hot I'm glad he cut his hair it was looking a little ridiculous quite frankly uh but here he is on

44:54on how he approaches off season going into this year hearing Steve and Mike talk about how I finished the year and how they want me to have that mentality within those giving games what are some of the things that I could improve on having the first or second best guy every night guard me um what stuff out I'm probably gonna get much of the same to start the year and how do I improve in the my new areas um how do I get um easier shots up all those type of things how do I draw files more all those little things I think we're focused for me basketball wise okay is he gonna do the little things I mean I know listen I know he's not a perfect player and I know he will turn it over like crazy sometimes he'll take a bad shot I got you but there is talent there and there's some moxie there too and if he can just mature as a player which he's still can he's still a young guy he still can mature and also I just I feel like he's getting too much stick from warriors fans like man we create a little positivity around him and then finally another voice you heard

45:56yesterday was Jimmy Butler by the way I see those earrings he was wearing what were those dangling earrings are a little nutty but uh he's obviously going through the rehab had everybody down to San Diego for a little bonding says he's back on the court you know after tearing all that stuff up in February or January when it ever was and now he's you know planning on coming back and he's planning on coming back well so z16 Walt on why he thinks he can come back and be Jimmy Butler I'm not one for numbers I'll tell y'all all the um three free throws all that stuff I'm not one for numbers but the numbers say I'm doing incredibly well so now I'm a person for numbers all in like the rehab part of everything but like my numbers are staggering they're off the charts I'm you know I head so they say and so I just know that all the work that I've been doing whether it be at home in LA in Europe in South America wherever the case may be I've been doing all the right things just the way everybody's asked me to do it um so I'm confident that whenever I come back

47:01I'll be more than ready I'll be more than healthy and I'll be um more of a better player all around player than it was whenever I went down all right what about we're having a South America in Europe man it's got quite the off-season schedule there so all right guys just a little bit of warrior sound for you guys okay cooler of content on the other side uh we got Marcus out six today is sick today Kurgur had to dip at nine but we got Walt we got Curly you got your boy Murf here and then we got Dwayne Kuiper at nine thirty so a great stuff from the world of sports and uh including maybe do we have the case kingdom in there a little case kingdom speech yeah among other things next on the sports leader Tim Ryan here with your Bay Area team and Ford now get a California Explorer annual day use pass with your purchase or lease of a brand new Bronco or Bronco sport it's got goat mode like your players driving to the game or off-roading there's seven available modes Ford is America's number one for new vehicle quality among mainstream

48:03brands visit a California Ford dealer today proud partner of California State Parks named by JD Power 2026 US Initial Quality Study Award information visit JDpower.com slash awards awards based on 2026 model year