49ers’ George Kittle on recruiting Antonio Brown: Jimmy Garoppolo started it

Jimmy Garoppolo made him do it.

That was tight end George Kittle’s explanation for his social-media recruitment of Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown early in the offseason.

On Dec. 31, the day after the 49ers’ regular-season finale, Kittle tweeted “Sup? @AB84” to Brown, whose issues with the Steelers were already inviting speculation he could be traded.

“You know what, Jimmy G dared me that I wouldn’t do it,” Kittle said Thursday on the “Jim Rome Show” from Radio Row in Atlanta. “And so I said ‘OK, I will do it.’ And that’s all it was. AB’s a fantastic player. Anything that happens with players in the offseason, that’s on coach (Kyle) Shanahan and Mr. (John) Lynch. Whatever decisions they make, I’m standing behind them.