One vote cost Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride a place in history, and Shannon Sharpe is furious. Despite a historic fourth season where he shattered the NFL record for receptions by a tight end with 126 catches, McBride fell just one vote short of the prestigious 50-vote sweep. This decision led to sharp criticism from analyst and former player Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco.

On his “Nightcap” podcast, Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe highlighted the absurdity of the vote, pointing out that a single voter choosing George Kittle cost McBride a unanimous selection, leaving him with 49 of 50 first-place votes.

“The All-Pro matters because … we’re saying you’re one of the best players regardless of conference,” Sharpe said. “It’s got to matter. Guys missing 11 games … what are we doing? It’s gotta mean something to you.”

And surely enough, there’s a reason for Sharpe’s frustration. While Kittle is a respected veteran and a great leader, his stats this year didn’t come close to McBride’s historic output. Kittle missed five games due to injury and finished with 57 receptions and 628 yards.

In contrast, McBride set a new NFL single-season record for tight end receptions, and totalled 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns. Despite Kittle’s reputation as an elite blocker, it is hard to justify giving him a first-team vote over a player who nearly doubled his yardage and more than doubled his catches.

The voting logic appears even more confusing when looking at the rest of the honors. Kittle didn’t even make the second-team All-Pro list, as that spot went to Kyle Pitts of the Falcons. This means that one voter considered Kittle the best tight end in the league, while the other 49 voters didn’t think he was even one of the top two. 

In a year where McBride was clearly the most dominant player at his position, the lack of a unanimous selection feels like a missed opportunity to recognize a historic season. Whether Kittle’s performance could ever justify that lone vote remains a major question. While the debate over his All-Pro vote continued, Kittle’s season took another dramatic turn during the 49ers’ Wild Card matchup.

George Kittle is ruled out of the game after suffering an injury against the Eagles

Major trouble hit the San Francisco 49ers during their Wild Card playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Star tight end George Kittle suffered a serious right Achilles injury during the second quarter and will not return to the game.

The injury occurred after Kittle caught a six-yard pass and was pushed out of bounds. He immediately grabbed the back of his lower leg in pain, and trainers had to use a motorized cart to take him to the locker room. Despite the situation, Kittle showed his team spirit by clapping for his teammates as he was driven away.

Losing Kittle is a massive blow, as he’s a true dual-threat tight end who serves as a primary passing target while also being a dominant force in the run game. Kittle is a massive blow because he is  The 49ers have historically struggled to move the ball effectively without him on the field, and backup Jake Tonges will now have to step up in his place.

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This injury follows a difficult, injury-plagued season for both Kittle and the team. Kittle had already missed a handful of games earlier this year due to a hamstring issue, and the 49ers entered the playoffs with one of the worst injury records in the NFL. Coach Kyle Shanahan now faces the difficult task of trying to win a “must-win” playoff game without his star playmaker.