49ers tight end George Kittle told reporters ahead of San Francisco's Week 5 game against the Cowboys that he didn't pay much attention to the feud between the two fanbases.
"I don't really have any animosity toward anybody," Kittle said, per NBC Sports Bay Area.
But evidently, he cares about the rivalry a bit more than he initially let on. Case in point, the undershirt he showed off during San Francisco's victory.
MORE: 49ers dominate Cowboys in lopsided "Sunday Night Football" clash
Following a 26-yard touchdown run by 49ers running back Jordan Mason, Kittle ran into and through the end zone before revealing his undershirt. It had printed on it a simple message.
"F— Dallas," it read.
(Warning: The video below contains NSFW language.)
#49ers TE George Kittle wore a “F*CK DALLAS” shirt under his jersey the entire game as he wrecked the #Cowboys defense for 3 TUDDYS 😤😤
— Alex Tran (@nineralex) October 9, 2023
(h/t @49ersKyle) pic.twitter.com/vBEAXAXIiA
Kittle's decision to show the shirt at that point was intriguing if only because he had scored three touchdowns in the earlier stages of the game. But perhaps he felt that it wasn't appropriate to reveal his message until the 49ers had, effectively, secured a blowout win.
MORE: How long can the 49ers stay undefeated after win over Cowboys?
Kittle spoke more about his wardrobe choice on "The Pat McAfee Show" Monday. He joked that he had nothing to do with it in his response.
"That (shirt) was just on my loop, man. I put it on, was just wearing a T-shirt at the game. I don’t know how (f— Dallas) got on there,” Kittle said, per the New York Post. "I might’ve been mildly inspired by our guy [former linebacker] Gary Plummer, who wore that in the ’94 NFC Championship Game versus Dallas.
"There’s some things that need to be worn for the franchise and I think it’s just coincidence it just happened to appear on my chest on 'Sunday Night Football.'"
Kittle and the 49ers certainly got the last laugh against the Cowboys on Sunday, marking their third consecutive win over their rival. It will be interesting to see if that sparks more animosity between the two sides if they end up clashing in the postseason for a third straight year.
But even then, it may not matter if Dallas is extra motivated to win. San Francisco simply looks like a juggernaut at the moment, and it's worth wondering when — or if — any NFL team will be able to slay them.
