San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle tore his Achilles in the wild card round last season against the Philadelphia Eagles. Kittle has been plagued with injuries during his NFL career. He is 32 years old and many are wondering if he is going to be ready for Week 1 of the season or not.
San Francisco will start the 2026 NFL season in Melbourne, Australia against the Los Angeles Rams. Kittle last season with the 49ers caught 57 passes for 628 yards receiving and seven touchdowns, along with averaging 11.0 yards per reception. This team had a lot of injuries last season. San Francisco is hoping to avoid those same injuries this season.
NFL Insider Reveals Injury Status About San Francisco 49ers Tight End George Kittle
Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) practices before the game at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Grant Gordon of NFL.com previewed the upcoming 49ers training camp. One of the things he mentioned about was the status of some key players on the roster. Gordon said about the latest injury timetable with Kittle,
“Conspiracy theorists can place the blame on electromagnetic fields from a nearby substation, but for whatever reason, injury woes have plagued Kyle Shanahan’s squads for years. Niners starters missed north of 50 games in 2025. At the moment, the anticipated returns of defensive end Nick Bosa (torn ACL; missed 14 games), tight end George Kittle (hamstring tear/ankle sprain/Achilles tear; six games) and linebacker Fred Warner (broken and dislocated ankle; 11 games) are atop the queue.
San Francisco went 12-5 last season and advanced to the Divisional Round with those three — who are each perennially regarded as among the best at their respective positions — missing significant time. Warner is good to go, Bosa expects to be ready around the start of camp and Kittle is working to return for Week 1.”
It would be something if Kittle returned from his torn Achilles so quickly. If Kittle can’t start at tight end in Week 1 for this football team, Jake Tonges would be the starting tight end for the 49ers. He won’t be a free agent until after the 2029 NFL season, but San Francisco could get out of his contract after the 2026 NFL season.
Kittle needs to stay healthy all season. It would be better for him to miss Week 1 against the Rams and be 100 percent rather than rushing back.
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