After reaching Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII against Kansas City just 10 months ago, the San Francisco 49ers have unthinkably been eliminated from the postseason with two games remaining following a 29-17 loss against Miami Sunday afternoon.

Star tight end George Kittle is embracing San Francisco’s final two games, however, hoping to see improvement in himself and his teammates despite the gravely disappointing circumstances.

“It’s difficult when the ball doesn’t bounce your way, when you have turnovers and you’re not forcing turnovers, you have to play at a very elite level if that’s what’s going to happen during a game,” Kittle told reporters after Sunday’s loss. “And we have not been playing at that elite level.

DAWG: #49ers TE George Kittle spoke about playing his a** off in the final 2 games despite SF being eliminated.

“If I have football in front of me I'm gonna play as hard as I possibly can and I'm gonna try and get the guys around me to do that same thing” pic.twitter.com/kaBQy365Rr

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) December 23, 2024

“We have to strive to continue to get better every single week, and while we are eliminated we have two weeks of football left. If I have football in front of my I’m going to try and play as hard as I possibly can and I’m going to try and get the guys around me to do the exact same thing.”

After falling just short of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy last season, San Francisco was given the second-shortest preseason odds at winning the Super Bowl in 2024 after returning virtually their entire dominant core of players. However, an almost absurdly devastating plague of injuries ravaged San Francisco as the 49ers began regular-season play against the Jets, with reigning offensive player of the year Christian McCaffrey ruled out with an Achilles sprain. McCaffrey wound up missing the first nine weeks of action due to a confounding battle with Achilles tendinitis and played just three games before suffering a season-ending PCL injury in the Buffalo snow earlier this month.

The star running back has found plenty of company in the 49ers’ physio department, however, with many of the team’s premier players suffering significant injuries. McCaffery’s deputies Jordan Mason and Elijah Mitchell have both missed significant time this season, leaving the Niners desperately thin in the backfield, while Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL while Brock Purdy and Nick Bosa have battled through nagging injuries all season long.

As such, the 49ers have suffered a major slide in recent weeks, losing five of their last six games to lose ground in a very winnable NFC West and officially fall out of playoff contention. Kittle and his squad will play for pride in Week 17, welcoming a high-flying Lions squad to Northern California Monday evening at 8:15 p.m. ET.