San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle turned to an unconventional coping mechanism after suffering a devastating Achilles injury during Sunday night's wild-card playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. The All-Pro reportedly polished off an entire bottle of top-shelf Patrón tequila in the locker room after learning the full extent of what is likely to be a career-altering setback.
Kittle tore his Achilles in the second quarter of San Francisco's 23-19 upset at Lincoln Financial Field, going down after being pushed out of bounds on a 6-yard reception. He immediately grabbed his lower leg in visible agony, before being carted off and helped into the locker room on one leg, a scene captured in multiple videos that quickly spread online. The 49ers ruled him out for the remainder of the game, not long after, prompting immediate concern about his availability for the rest of the playoffs and beyond.
