San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle remains optimistic that he’ll be on the plane to Melbourne, Australia, for their Week 1 tilt against the Los Angeles Rams.
"I have a chance," Kittle said Sunday, via ESPN. "We're running around a lot, hitting top speeds. Hopefully, we're back in pads practicing sooner than later. Just trying to check the boxes and not be a dumbass."
Kittle called his regimen from a torn right Achilles "the most boring rehab in the entire world."
The 32-year-old tore his Achilles during a Jan. 11 playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles and underwent surgery three days later. On Sunday, Kittle said he’s “pretty close” to hitting his pre-injury GPS speed numbers.
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The tight end entered training camp on the physically unable to perform list, but is “very confident” he won’t start the season on PUP, which would knock him out for the first four weeks of the campaign. He would need to be activated to the roster before Aug. 30.
Beyond not missing the first four games, Kittle wouldn’t put a timetable on his return. While striving for Week 1, he understands that the 49ers could keep him out the first game given the lengthy flight and all that entails.
"I want to play in every football game that I possibly can play in, but I'm also aware it's an 18-week season," Kittle said. "If you miss Week 1 and you're playing Week 2, hey, it is what it is. ... I'm just going to keep that as my goal and then we'll adjust from there if we need to. But I still believe that. My team still believes that. My surgeon still believes I have a chance. So just keep attacking it."
Kittle noted that he’d probably know in the next couple of weeks whether he’ll play versus the Rams, given that he’d need to get at least one padded practice in before seeing real action. The 10-year pro added it “probably makes the most sense” for the club to determine his status before the flight to Australia on Sept. 2.