Kittle is coming off an Achilles injury that he suffered in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs in January. The team put him on the physically unable to perform list to start training camp, but he has indicated that he won't begin the season on said list and even has a chance to play Week 1 in Australia. That makes him likely for most of the season, but how effective he'll be remains to be seen. Hence why you'll draft him closer to Round 8 than Round 4. The hope is Kittle will produce at a high level by the middle of the season and peak just in time for the Fantasy playoffs. When healthy, Kittle is among the best players at his position, averaging 14.7 PPR points per game in 2025 -- the sixth time in his nine-year career that he's averaged at least 14.1 PPR points per game. If you draft Kittle, then it's a good idea to pair him with a second tight end on your Fantasy roster -- maybe San Francisco backup tight end Jake Tonges -- just in case Kittle isn't quite ready to play a normal snap share right away.
Kittle (Achilles) isn't listed on the 49ers' injury report ahead of Thursday's contest against the Rams, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
The game technically will be taking place Friday local time in Melbourne, Australia, but Kittle has made quick work in his recovery from the torn right Achilles that he suffered in San Francisco's wild-card win at Philadelphia on Jan. 11. Kittle was listed as limited on the team's first two practice reports of Week 1 prep, so it stands to reason he may operate with a cap on his snaps. Still, he's in line to be out there for the 49ers' regular-season opener.
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49ers' George Kittle: Remains limited Wednesday
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Kittle (Achilles) remained limited in Wednesday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Coach Kyle Shanahan has already indicated Kittle will play in Thursday night's season opener against the Rams in Australia, but the team is monitoring his practice reps. The veteran tight end is coming off a torn Achilles and is expected to see his snaps dialed back some against Los Angeles, though he should remain a staple in the red zone. Kittle is probably more of a TE2 than a locked-in TE1 for fantasy in Week 1.
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49ers' George Kittle: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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It's great that Kittle will play in Week 1 against the Rams after suffering a ruptured Achilles in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs last year. But it sounds like his playing time will be limited. Coach Kyle Shanahan said, "We've got to be smart with that," in regards to how much Kittle will be on the field, and offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said Kittle's "workload will be determined." We all want to start Kittle in our Fantasy lineups based on his upside, but I don't expect him to do much in Week 1 against the Rams. If you can sit him, that's probably the right thing to do.
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49ers' George Kittle: Could see limited Week 1 role
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that Kittle (Achilles) could have his workload monitored against the Rams on Thursday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
"We got to be smart with that," Shanahan said. With Kittle having been listed as a limited participant Tuesday after returning from the active/PUP list a little over two weeks ago, Shanahan's comments suggest San Francisco is preparing to manage the tight end's Week 1 snaps. Kittle figures to be featured on third downs and in the scoring area if his playing time is limited, and Jake Tonges could see elevated snaps as the Niners' TE2.
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49ers' George Kittle: Listed as limited participant
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Kittle (Achilles) was listed as a limited participant on Tuesday's injury report, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Kittle has been practicing regularly since being activated from the active/PUP list a little over two weeks ago, and although he seemingly did not take part in every drill Tuesday, he was able to get at least some work in. The fact that he traveled with the 49ers to Australia remains the strongest evidence he'll be able to suit up for Week 1.
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49ers' George Kittle: Looking likely to face Rams
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Kittle (Achilles) is in full uniform for the 49ers' practice session in Melbourne, Australia on Tuesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Earlier in the day, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said of Kittle: "Super impressed with how he's looked considering the injury and how quick he got back on the field. It's cool to me to see how Kittle looks ... Workload will be determined," per Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News. While that doesn't fully confirm that the star tight end will be ready to play in the season opener against the Rams, the fact that the team seems to be focused on Kittle's gameday workload, rather than his general playing status, suggests that he's more likely than not to suit up. Kubiak did give the caveat that Kittle will need to get through San Francisco's final practices before a decision is ultimately made, and the club's injury reports this week should shed further light on Kittle's level of participation in practice as well as his outlook for the Friday (local time) NFC West clash.
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49ers' George Kittle: In line to practice Monday
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Kittle (Achilles) is slated to practice Monday in Melbourne, Australia, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Kittle has made a speedy recovery from the torn right Achilles that he suffered in the 49ers' wild-card win at Philadelphia on Jan. 11, for which he underwent surgery three days later. Both GM John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan and the tight end himself expressed optimism in the offseason about Kittle being available Week 1 against the Rams, and his activation from the active/PUP list Aug. 23 begin to set the stage for such a reality. Kittle then logged team drills last week and made the trip to Australia with his teammates. The 49ers will post their first injury report of the season Monday, which will reveal how much activity he was able to manage.
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49ers' George Kittle: Traveling to Australia with team
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Kittle (Achilles) will travel to Australia with the 49ers and "is trending in the right direction to play" in the season opener Sept. 10 versus the Rams, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
A final call on Kittle's availability for Week 1 isn't expected to be made until the 49ers arrive in Australia, but his involvement in practice this week and presence on the road trip suggest that he's on track to play. Kittle -- who tore his right Achilles tendon Jan. 11 and underwent surgery three days later -- could have his snaps limited to some degree if he's cleared to play in the season opener.
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49ers' George Kittle: Going through team drills
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Kittle (Achilles) participated in practice Monday and plans to do so again Tuesday, David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard reports.
Kittle is making strides in his recovery from an Achilles tear suffered in the playoffs. He went through some team drills Monday, and the fact that he's going to be on the field back-to-back days is especially encouraging. The 49ers are just over a week away from their season opener in Australia, so it's still a tight timeline for Kittle to get up to game speed. The team is flying down this week, so whether he even gets on the plane should provide a clear sign of whether he will be in the Week 1 lineup.
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49ers' George Kittle: Will be limited in practice this week
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Kittle (Achilles) will be eased back into practice this week, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Kittle was activated from the active/PUP list last week and continues to make a push to play Week 1 against the Rams on Thursday, Sept. 10. He'll be limited in practice this week, and San Francisco figures to then ramp things up for Kittle next week to see if he can make himself available in the season opener. If Kittle is unable to go, Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell would handle tight end duties for the Niners.
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49ers' George Kittle: Activated from active/PUP list
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Kittle (Achilles) was activated from the active/PUP list Sunday.
Kittle has been ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn Achilles that he suffered in January. His activation from the PUP list clears Kittle to participate in training camp practice, though he'll likely have his workload managed and be held out of Thursday's preseason finale against the Raiders. All signs are pointing to the veteran tight end having a chance to be available for the 49ers' regular-season opener against the Rams on Thursday, Sept. 10, with more context on that front slated to arrive in the coming days. In any case, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com suggests that Sunday's move is a sign that the team is confident that Kittle will be back before Week 5.
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49ers' George Kittle: Confident he'll avoid PUP for Week 1
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Kittle (Achilles) said Sunday that he's "very confident" he won't start the season on the reserve/PUP list and that he's still got a chance to play Week 1 versus the Rams, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Kittle is recovering from a torn Achilles suffered on Jan. 11, and he's maintained this offseason that he'll be ready for the Week 1 opener versus the Rams in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, Sept. 10. He added that the decision about whether he'll play Week 1 should be made before the 49ers depart for their international game versus the Rams, per Wagoner. The soon-to-be 33-year-old recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 2023 and 2024, but he tallied 628 yards on 57 catches across 11 appearances during the 2025 regular season. When healthy, Kittle should still be a key target for San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, especially after wide receiver Ricky Pearsall underwent a season-ending surgery to repair his PCL this August.
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49ers' George Kittle: Increases activity level Monday
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Kittle (Achilles) was seen running routes, catching passes and doing conditioning work prior to Monday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
According to Wagoner, it was the most extensive work Kittle has done at practice this summer, as he continues to work his way back from a torn Achilles. Kittle remains on the active/PUP list for San Francisco, but he's continued to say he's on track to play Week 1 against the Rams in 31 days. He'll turn 33 years old in two months but figures to remain a red-zone presence for Brock Purdy. Kittle is no longer a top-tier fantasy tight end, but he should be productive when on the field in an efficient 49ers offense.
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49ers' George Kittle: Starting training camp on PUP
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The 49ers placed Kittle (Achilles) on the active/PUP list Saturday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Kittle continues to recover from a torn right Achilles that he suffered in the 49ers' NFC playoff win over the Eagles in January. The veteran tight end has been optimistic that he's ahead of schedule in his recovery and will be ready for Week 1 against the Rams on Sept. 10. By being placed on the active/PUP list, Kittle is eligible to participate in practice once he's fully recovered from his injury, but he'll be limited to side work for the time being. If Kittle ends up missing regular-season games, then Jake Tonges (foot) would be in line to serve as the 49ers' TE1.
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49ers' George Kittle: Still targeting Week 1
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Kittle (Achilles) said Wednesday that he is still targeting the 49ers' regular-season opener against the Rams in Week 1 as his return date, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.
Kittle acknowledged the challenge of completing his rehab in time for Week 1, though he noted that "I was told it's not a crazy goal." Optimism surrounding his recovery has remained steady throughout the offseason, aided by the fact that he suffered what surgeon and team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache described as a "best-case scenario" Achilles tear near the soleus muscle, as Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. GM John Lynch said in late March that he's "hopeful" Kittle will be available Week 1. Still, given the timing of the injury he suffered during San Francisco's wild-card win over the Eagles in January and how capable No. 2 tight end Jake Tonges (foot) looked across his spot starts in 2025, the 49ers are expected to take caution with Kittle's recovery process.
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49ers' George Kittle: Aiming to play Week 1
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that Kittle (Achilles) is aiming to be ready for the 49ers' Week 1 game against the Rams, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.
This has been the sentiment all offseason after Kittle suffered a "clean" tear near the soleus muscle higher up on the Achilles in the 49ers' wild-card win over Philadelphia back in January, which typically results in a quicker rehab process. Working against Kittle, however, is his advanced age (32 years old) and just eight months between the injury and Week 1. The 49ers are surely going to be careful with Kittle and not rush him back just to have him at less than 100 percent for the first game of the 2026 season. Jake Tonges (foot) would be next in line at tight end if Kittle isn't ready to face Los Angeles in four months.
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49ers' George Kittle: GM hopes for Week 1 return
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San Francisco general manager John Lynch told reporters Sunday that he is "hopeful" that Kittle (Achilles) will be available for Week 1 of the 2026 season, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Lynch noted that Kittle is progressing well in his recovery from a torn right Achilles that he suffered in the 49ers' NFC wild-card win over the Eagles in January. Working in Kittle's favor is the fact that he suffered a clear tear near the soleus muscle higher up the Achilles, which typically takes less time to rehab, but whether the veteran tight end is available for the start of the regular season ultimately will come down to his participation in training camp in July and August. Jake Tonges (foot) would be slated to serve as the Niners' TE1 to open the 2026 season if Kittle is not ready to return by then.
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49ers' George Kittle: Torn Achilles confirmed
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Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed after Sunday's 23-19 wild-card win over the Eagles that Kittle tore his Achilles during the game, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Kittle exited in the first half due to an Achilles injury. The 49ers found a way to advance after losing their star tight end due to injury, but the diagnosis of a torn Achilles means Kittle won't rejoin his teammates on the field during their playoff run, as Kittle will face a recovery timeline of more than six months. He may not be available for the start of the 2026 regular season.
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49ers' George Kittle: Exits Sunday's game
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Kittle was carted off the field during Sunday's playoff game against the Eagles after sustaining an apparent lower-leg injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area, Kittle reached for his right lower leg after being tackled prior to his exit from the contest. At first glance, this doesn't look good for the tight end, with added context set to arrive once the 49ers make an official injury announcement.
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49ers' George Kittle: Cleared to play
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Kittle (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's wild-card game at Philadelphia, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Kittle played 95 percent of snaps Week 18, returning from a one-game absence for the 13-3 loss to Seattle. He'll likely handle an every-down role again this weekend against another one of the NFC's top defenses.
