San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey worked out at altitude with Bijan Robinson.
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San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey worked out at altitude with Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson.
After one game, the injury bughas hit the San Francisco 49ersas the team placed tight end George Kittle on injured reserve with a hamstring injury on Tuesday.
Kittle, injured in the first half of Sunday’s win over the Seattle Seahawks, will be sidelined for the next four games: at New Orleans Saints, at home against the Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars, and at the Los Angeles Rams,ESPN reports.
Under NFL injured reserve rules, Kittle’s earliest possible return would be Oct. 12 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the veteran tight endnow out of the offense, ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky is concerned that the 49ers might lean too much on Christian McCaffrey.
“I get concerned with McCaffrey touches,”Orlovsky said on “NFL Live.” “I mean, 31 touches in Week One in September. Because the initial thought is, well, Kittle’s hurt. McCaffrey was the guy last week. And so look at the touches per 2019 per game. Like, 31 touches. Are we going into October with 120, 130 touches for McCaffrey? It’s a lot to weather in San Francisco right now.”
Who will replace George Kittle at Tight End?
As for who replaces Kittle, there’s backup tight end Luke Farrell, signed by the 49ers this offseason from the Jaguars on a three-year, $15.75 million deal for his blocking skills, who made a key four-yard grab on fourth-and-2 in the third quarter.
Later, Jake Tonges — who came into Sunday without a single NFL regular-season catch — stepped up with three receptions for 15 yards on the decisive drive. His most crucial play came on a pass he initially thought Brock Purdy was throwing away, only for it to turn into the game-winning touchdown.
How Will the 49ers’ Offense Be Without George Kittle?
With Kittle now out on the field, ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes discussed what the 49ers could be looking for. Kimes notes that McCaffrey will be the focus of opposing defenses, and there are opportunities for players like Ricky Pearsall to take advantage.
“I think a couple of things for San Francisco,” Kimes said on “NFL Live.” “If the defense is keying on Christian McCaffrey — which iswhat’s going to happen — can you continue to punish them with Ricky Pearsall, who I thought came up big in this game? And then pass protection.
“Brock Purdy was pressured 26 times in this game, and a lot of that, I will say, was Purdy holding onto the football a little bit too long, which he’s sometimes prone to do, but also tons of unblocked pressures.
“Now, I think Seattle’s defense is very tricky, and this is a Week 1 thing where maybe Week 1 is a little bit of a liar. But moving forward, that has to improve, I think, for this offense to keep running without Kittle.”
San Francisco will now turn the page on the Seahawks and focus on Week 2 as the team looks to go 2-0 on the season. Moreover, the 49ers will have a second straight road game as they travel to the Caesars Superdome for a winnable game against theSaints.