49ers' George Kittle jokes he 'considered retirement' after NFL memo bans substance he uses for gameday boost

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle raves about fellow Iowa alum Caitlin Clark and her handling of pressure ahead of his appearance at the American Century Classic.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle crashed his teammate Fred Warner’s interview on Tuesday to air out a grievance he has with the league. 

The league informed all teams of a smelling salts ban before and during all NFL games, and the do-it-all tight end from the Bay Area is not happy. 

"I honestly just came up here to air a grievance," Kittle said on NFL Network. "Our team got a memo today that smelling salts and ammonia packets were made illegal in the NFL, and I've been distraught all day."

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San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, #85, looks on in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Jan. 5, 2025. (Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images)

Kittle said he’s a regular user of smelling salts, which gives him a boost of energy, before offensive drives. 

"I miss those already," he added. 

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The memo, provided by ESPN, says teams are prohibited from "providing or supplying ammonia in any form," which includes ammonia capsules, inhalers, ammonia in a cup or any form of smelling salts. 

This will be applicable throughout games, including pregame activities and halftime in and out of the locker room as well as on the sideline. 

"In 2024, the FDA issued a warning to companies that produce commercially available ammonia inhalants (AIs), as well as to consumers about the purchase and use of AIs, regarding the lack of evidence supporting the safety or efficacy of