Depleted by injuries, the San Francisco 49ers could finally get some relief this week.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan said that star tight end George Kittle, who has been out since Week 1 with a hamstring injury, is expected to return to practice this week ahead of Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Kittle suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of the 49ers’ season opener against the Seattle Seahawks and later landed on the injured reserve, meaning he’d have to miss at least four games.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier this month that Kittle had been “doing great” and faced “no setbacks,” but he wasn’t quite ready to return to the field after just four games.
While Shanahan didn’t give a definitive answer on whether Kittle will play this week, it’s a good sign that he’s at least expected to practice.
Kittle is coming off a second consecutive season with 1,000-plus yards, recording 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns last year despite missing two games due to a hamstring injury. He started the 2025 campaign off strong with 25 yards and a touchdown in the first half of Week 1, but the injury halted his momentum.
Kittle’s potential return couldn’t come at a better time for the Niners. San Francisco has had arguably the worst injury luck of any team this season, and things aren’t getting any better.
The 49ers were without Nick Bosa, Brandon Aiyuk, Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall and Kittle on Sunday against the Bucs, and they ended up losing star linebacker Fred Warner to a season-ending ankle injury during that game.
But San Francisco has managed to stay afloat so far, heading into Week 7 at 4-2. The Niners’ surprising success is largely due to the breakout season from backup quarterback Mac Jones, who has thrown for 1,252 yards and six touchdowns in four games.
If Jones has Kittle, one of the league’s best tight ends, this week, it would make his job significantly easier.
Discover more from 6up.net
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.