49ers' George Kittle: In line to practice Wednesday
Rotowire
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that the 49ers expect Kittle (hamstring) to practice Wednesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Kittle came out of a Week 10 win at Tampa Bay with hamstring irritation that capped him to a pair of limited practices during Week 11 prep. While he ultimately was inactive for Sunday's loss to the Seahawks, Shanahan noted the tight end was "close" to being able to suit up. Kittle's activity level Wednesday may set the tone for the rest of the week, but it appears as if he'll miss just one game as a result of the injury.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Officially inactive Sunday
Rotowire
Kittle (hamstring) is listed as inactive Sunday versus the Seahawks, Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers' official site reports.
Kittle has dealt with a few injuries this season, including a hamstring issue that capped him to two limited practices during Week 11 prep and left him questionable for Sunday's game. Having said that, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported early Sunday morning that Kittle wasn't likely to play, with his availability subject to a pregame warmup. With inactive status now confirmed for Kittle, he'll miss his second contest of the campaign. Per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, fellow TE Eric Saubert is dealing with an illness but expected to play, which could mean Jake Tonges and Brayden Willis get more snaps at the position than expected.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Unlikely to play Sunday
Rotowire
Kittle (hamstring), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Seattle, is unlikely to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The 49ers will see how he feels pregame, but at this stage, the team isn't optimistic that Kittle will be able to play still be a chance he can play. Official word on Kittle's status will arrive 90 minutes prior to the 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff, when the 49ers release their inactive list. After handling a normal snap count in the 49ers' Week 10 win over the Buccaneers, Kittle sat out Wednesday's practice with the hamstring injury, then was a limited practice participant Thursday and Friday. Eric Saubert would likely start at tight end if Kittle is inactive, but he would serve primarily as a blocker and wouldn't be nearly as involved as Kittle in the passing game.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Listed as questionable
Rotowire
Kittle (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Seattle, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Kittle was a limited practice participant Thursday and Friday after sitting out Wednesday. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that he expects Kittle to play, but fantasy managers will still want to make sure the tight end avoids the inactive list ahead of a 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday. Eric Saubert likely will step in as the starter if Kittle ends up inactive.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Logs limited practice Thursday
Rotowire
Kittle (hamstring) was limited in practice Thursday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Before Kittle was held out of Wednesday's session due to what has been termed hamstring irritation by Kyle Shanahan, the coach himself relayed little concern about the tight end's potential to play Sunday against the Seahawks, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Kittle took a step in the right direction Thursday, but he still may need to log a full practice Friday in order to head into the weekend sans a designation.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Not practicing Wednesday
Rotowire
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Kittle (hamstring) won't practice Wednesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Shanahan relayed Monday that Kittle was dealing with hamstring irritation, which will keep the tight end out of the first session of the week. Kittle has played through hamstring, rib and foot injuries this season, missing only one game (Week 3) as a result, but it's unclear if he may be in danger of another absence in Week 11. His activity in practices Thursday and Friday likely will provide some insight into his odds to play Sunday against the Seahawks.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Active in Week 8
Rotowire
Kittle (foot) is active for Sunday's game versus the Cowboys, Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers' official site reports.
Kittle tended to a foot sprain during Week 8 prep, limiting him to a pair of capped sessions Thursday and Friday and leaving his status up in the air for Sunday. Having said that, he'll be available to San Francisco's offense this weekend along with WR Deebo Samuel (illness). The pair should be the team's featured pass catchers for the foreseeable future with WR Brandon Aiyuk (knee) out for the season and WR Jauan Jennings (hip) sidelined for a second straight contest.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Expected to play
Rotowire
Kittle (foot), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cowboys, is expected to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Kittle suffered a foot sprain in last week's loss to Kansas City and missed practice Wednesday, but after logging limited sessions Thursday and Friday, he looks to be trending toward playing Sunday. Official word on Kittle's status will arrive 90 minutes before Sunday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff, when the 49ers will release their inactive list. The 49ers are expecting to have both Kittle and wideout Deebo Samuel (illness) -- who is also listed as questionable -- available Sunday, a major boon for a passing game that will be without Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jauan Jennings (hip).
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Back on practice field
Rotowire
Kittle (foot) returned to practice Thursday, David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard reports.
After sitting out Wednesday's session due to a foot sprain, Kittle was able to mix into at least individual drills one day later. Thursday's practice report will reveal how much work he was able to handle.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: No practice Wednesday
Rotowire
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Kittle (foot) won't practice Wednesday, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
During Shanahan's rundown of 49ers injuries Monday, Kittle was labeled as day-to-day due to a sprained foot, so it's no surprise that the team is taking a cautious approach with the veteran tight end. Kittle thus will have two more chances to get in some activity this week before San Francisco potentially gives him a designation for Sunday's game against the Cowboys. If he's able to suit up, Kittle likely will be one of the top targets for quarterback Brock Purdy, as wideout Brandon Aiyuk was lost for the season due to ACL and MCL tears, wideout Deebo Samuel is recovering from pneumonia, and wideout Jauan Jennings still isn't practicing due to a hip injury.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Dealing with foot sprain
Rotowire
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Kittle has a sprained foot and is day-to-day, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
All of the 49ers' top skill-position talents not named Brock Purdy are dealing with some sort of health concern at the moment. Running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) remains on injured reserve and is unlikely to return Week 8, wideout Brandon Aiyuk suffered ACL and MCL tears in his right ankle Sunday against the Chiefs, and wideout Deebo Samuel is hospitalized with pneumonia and doesn't have a timeline for his return, leaving Kittle as the healthiest of the bunch. Still, Kittle may have some practice limitations Wednesday through Friday to ensure he at least is available to Purdy and San Francisco's offense Week 8 versus Dallas.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Leads banged-up receiving crew
Rotowire
Kittle corralled six of seven targets for 92 yards in Sunday's 28-18 loss to the Chiefs.
Kittle finished as the 49ers' leading receiver after both Deebo Samuel (illness) and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) exited Sunday's contest early. The 30-year-old Kittle wasn't able to extend his touchdown streak to five games in the loss, but he finished with his highest yardage total of the season. San Francisco may have to lean on its star tight end even more down the stretch if Aiyuk's MRI results reveal a torn ACL like the team fears he suffered. Either way, Kittle remains a top fantasy option heading into a Week 8 matchup against Dallas.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Cleared for Thursday night
Rotowire
Kittle (ribs) doesn't have a designation for Thursday's game at Seattle, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Kittle was listed as a limited participant on Monday's estimated practice report due to a lingering rib injury. He then had his reps capped at Tuesday's walkthrough before upgrading to full activity Wednesday, which was enough for the eighth-year pro to gain clearance to suit up Week 6. Kittle thus will be facing a Seahawks defense Thursday that has allowed the 10th-most yards per target (7.7) to opposing tight ends this season.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Puts in limited practice
Rotowire
Kittle (ribs) will be a limited participant in Tuesday's practice, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Kittle has been nursing a rib injury since the 49ers' Week 4 win over the Patriots, but he logged a full workload (57 snaps) while finishing with eight catches for 64 yards and a touchdown on a season-high 12 targets in this past weekend's loss to the Cardinals. Though the 49ers are facing a quick turnaround for Week 6 with a Thursday night matchup against the Seahawks, Kittle's involvement in practice Tuesday suggests he's on track to handle his usual role.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Still nursing rib injury
Rotowire
Kittle was a limited participant on the 49ers' practice estimate Monday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Kittle played through his rib injury in Week 4's 24-23 loss to Arizona and finished with eight receptions (on 12 targets) for 64 yards and a touchdown. It looks like the issue is still bothering him, but he was at least still able to be listed as limited Monday. More clarity on his status should come as the week progresses. The veteran tight end has hauled in 23 passes (on 29 targets) for 225 yards and three touchdowns across four games. Eric Saubert would presumably be the next man up if Kittle's injury happens to worsen in this short week.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Expected to play Sunday
Rotowire
Kittle (ribs) is listed as questionable but is expected to play Sunday versus the Cardinals, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Kittle missed a pair of practices during Week 5 prep but was able to return to a limited practice session Friday. The limited session looks to have been enough for the 49ers to feel confident about Kittle's chances of playing Sunday, and it doesn't appear that he'll have any limitations. Kittle missed Week 3 against the Rams due to a hamstring injury, then hurt his ribs in the first half of the team's Week 4 win against New England but was able to return after halftime and finish out the contest. An official ruling on Kittle's status for Sunday's game will come around 2:35 p.m. ET, when the 49ers will release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to kickoff.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Listed as questionable
Rotowire
Kittle (ribs) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Kittle returned to practice Friday after missing the two previous sessions, and while he didn't show enough to avoid a game designation, David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard notes that the tight end was "moving around well" during Friday's practice. Fantasy managers would still be wise to have a backup plan on hand in case Kittle takes a turn for the worse ahead of the 49ers' 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff this Sunday.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Returns to practice
Rotowire
Kittle (ribs) is practicing Friday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
It's a strong hint that Kittle's injury isn't serious even though he missed practice Wednesday and Thursday. The 49ers tend to be cautious with his practice workloads, as he has a lengthy history of injuries and is approaching his 31st birthday (Oct. 9).
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Officially DNP on Thursday
Rotowire
Kittle (ribs) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
A rib injury has been attached to Kittle since he was reported to be questionable to return at halftime of this past Sunday's win against the Patriots. He didn't miss a beat as he was back in the game for the 49ers' first possession of the third quarter, finishing with a 94 percent snap share and four catches (on four targets) for 45 yards and one touchdown. Coach Kyle Shanahan termed Kittle day-to-day Monday, but the tight end has followed that up with back-to-back DNPs to begin Week 5 prep. On a positive note, Kittle was spotted in uniform and working on the side Thursday, per Wagoner, so he may be trending in the right direction. Ultimately, Friday's practice report will reveal whether or not Kittle enters the weekend with a designation for Sunday's contest versus the Cardinals.
... See More... See Less
49ers' George Kittle: Deemed 'day-to-day' this week
Rotowire
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Kittle (ribs) will be "day-to-day" this week, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
During Sunday's win against the Patriots, Kittle was announced as questionable to return due to a rib injury at halftime, but he was able to join the 49ers offense for the team's first offensive possession of the second half and play out the remainder of the contest. His snap share (94 percent) didn't deviate from his normal workload, and he finished with four catches (on four targets) for 45 yards and one touchdown. Because of Shanahan's comments, Kittle likely isn't in danger of sitting out this coming Sunday versus the Cardinals, but he may endure some practice limitations Wednesday through Friday.
