"My wife is cooler than me": George Kittle reacts to Claire’s stunning SI Swimsuit cover shoot, reveals he woke up at 5 AM to see it

George Kittle needed just one word to sum up his reaction to his wife Claire’s latest milestone. When Sports Illustrated Swimsuit revealed its February 2026 digital cover featuring partners of NFL stars, the San Francisco 49ers tight end kept it short in the comments section.

"Woof," he wrote.That playful reaction quickly caught attention, but it was only part of the story. Claire Kittle is one of several NFL partners featured on the special digital cover, posing in a red bikini and showing off her toned abs. The edition also includes Brittany Mahomes, Haley Cavinder, Normani, Christen Goff and Ronika Stone.

George Kittle opens up about Claire’s SI Swimsuit digital cover debut

While his social media comment was brief, Kittle shared more about the experience in an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated.

He admitted there was one small downside to the timing of the release. “The only negative is that it came out at 5 AM this time, so we woke up to look at it, which I was excited for," he said. "It was a blast. She had an opportunity, and now she’s just crushing it. People are like, ‘Oh wow, Claire is cooler than you.

’ I’ve been saying this for ten years, my wife is cooler than me, and now you guys are finally starting to believe it.”

The magazine unveiled Claire’s cover image on Instagram in a joint post with her, which drew reactions from several familiar names. Kristin Juszczyk, wife of 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, celebrated her friend in the comments. "That’s my best friend!!!!!!," Kristin wrote.Olivia Culpo, wife of Christian McCaffrey, also chimed in with excitement. "OMGGGG STOPPPP," Culpo wrote.Kittle did not just react online. He also attended the SI Swimsuit digital cover party to support Claire.

Christen Goff later shared photos and videos from the event on Instagram, showing NFL players and their partners celebrating together.George and Claire’s relationship goes back to their freshman year at the University of Iowa. Kittle has described it as love at first sight. After dating for several years, he proposed in 2018, and the couple married the following year. For Kittle, the cover moment was not about headlines or hype. It was about watching someone he has supported since college step into her own spotlight. And judging by his one word reaction, he clearly approves!