Roger Goodell. The league banned a substance that almost made George Kittle retire.Roger Goodell (Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
San Francisco 49ers superstar tight end George Kittle pulled off an Antonio Brown and considered retirement…all because of one NFL rule change.

In April, the 49ers and George Kittle agreed to a lucrative four-year contract extension worth $76.4 million. And yet, a recent NFL rule change nearly prompted the All-Pro tight end to walk away before ever seeing a dime of that deal.

While teammate Fred Warner was being interviewed by the NFL Network, Kittle crashed the party and announced that the league has banned smelling salts and ammonia packets. Kittle, who uses them for every drive, admitted that the ban prompted him to consider retirement.

“I considered retirement. We have to figure out a middle ground,” Kittle said, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Smelling salts are frequently used by professional athletes to enhance their alertness, focus and reaction time. As one of the league’s premier tight ends, George Kittle has certainly benefited from using the salts.

This sounds similar to the 2019 controversy with then-Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown, who threatened to retire after the NFL banned his preferred helmet model. Luckily for the 49ers, the future Hall of Famer isn’t actually ready to call it quits.

Last season, George Kittle caught 78 passes for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns en route to a sixth career Pro Bowl nod. The 2017 fifth-round pick has exceeded the 1,000-yard mark in four of his eight NFL seasons, though the number would be higher if not for injuries.

George Kittle & 49ers Open 2025 Season At Seattle Seahawks

George Kittle (Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
The 49ers are coming off a disappointing 6-11 season and last-place finish in the NFC West, but they’re bringing back a star-studded core led by Kittle, Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.

San Francisco kicks off the 2025 season with a road tilt against the NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field (4:05 p.m. EST).

Brittney Griner Finally Breaks Her Silence Over Alleged Caitlin Clark Comments That The WNBA Refused To Investigate

Brittney Griner speaking to reporterBrittney Griner (Photo via Twitter)
WNBA star Brittney Griner was at the center of a new debate over what she allegedly said in a game against basketball phenom Caitlin Clark.

The Atlanta Dream center found herself at the center of social media controversy last month when some fans thought she disparaged Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark upon fouling out.

The game’s broadcast focused on an upset Griner saying something as she returned to the Dream bench after fouling out of the game. While there’s no audio of this moment, some who tried to read Griner’s lips thought she called Clark a “trash f–king white girl.”

However, there’s no proof of Griner saying those actual words since others thought she stated something else.

It took weeks for someone to finally get a quote from her, and she provided much of nothing.

Brittney Griner was asked about this moment before her team’s June 15 game against the Washington Mystics and said, “I remember fouling out, being mad. I remember fouling out on, I believe it was [Natasha] Howard driving to the basket. They said I put my hand in.”

WNBA Chooses Not To Investigate Brittney Griner

Griner Drops F-Bomb, Apologizes Amid Clark Slur RowBrittney Griner (Photo By Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
Moments before the conclusion of the Indiana Fever’s 81-76 victory over the Dream at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta weeks ago, cameras seemingly caught Atlanta Dream star center Brittney Griner labeling Caitlin Clark “trash” before calling her a “f***ing white girl” in frustration over a foul on Natasha Howard.

The clip of Griner speaking on the bench, lacking context, spread on social media and went viral.

Griner, who won a gold medal for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024, essentially got aw@y with whatever came out of her mouth because the league basically ignored the controversy.

This incident is not the only time Griner vocalized her frustrations this season. Following another game, she stormed off mid-interview, yelling at the referees to “be f—ing better.