San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that Kittle (hamstring) won't be available to play Sunday against the Buccaneers but could return from injured reserve for the 49ers' Week 7 game against the Falcons, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.
Kittle is eligible to have his 21-day practice window at any point, but Shanahan hinted that the 49ers' preference may be to wait until Week 7 to clear the tight end to resume on-field work. While Kittle has been sidelined, Jake Tonges has handled the majority of pass-catching opportunities at tight end while splitting time at the position with blocking specialist Luke Farrell. The duo should continue to share snaps at tight end against Tampa Bay.
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49ers' George Kittle: Expected to remain out for Week 6
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San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday that Kittle (hamstring) is considered a "long shot" to be available for the team's Week 6 game against the Buccaneers, but the tight end could be more likely to return from injured reserve for a Week 7 matchup with the Falcons on Sunday, Oct. 19, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
After missing the requisite four games upon being placed on IR following Week 1 action, Kittle will be eligible for activation during the upcoming week, but he seemingly hasn't made enough progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury to put himself in consideration for a return just yet. The 49ers could still elect to open Kittle's 21-day practice window next week, though Shanahan hinted that the team may prefer to wait until Week 7 before having the 31-year-old get back on the field, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. While Kittle has been out for the past four weeks, the 49ers have had Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell share snaps at tight end, with the former player proving to be the more formidable pass-catching threat.
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49ers' George Kittle: Move to IR official
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The 49ers placed Kittle (hamstring) on injured reserve Tuesday.
Kittle will miss at least the next four games before potentially returning to action Week 6 versus the Buccaneers. Before departing Sunday's 17-13 win over the Seahawks with a hamstring injury, Kittle produced four catches for 25 yards and a touchdown on four targets over just 20 snaps. Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges are left as the only healthy tight ends on the 49ers' roster, though fullback Kyle Juszczyk is also an option to take on some of Kittle's pass-catching duties. San Francisco could also elevate Brayden Willis from the practice squad to bolster the depth of the group.
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49ers' George Kittle: Headed for IR
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The 49ers are expected to place Kittle (hamstring) on injured reserve within the next few days, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The tight end's impending move to IR indicates that the 49ers are preparing for him to miss at least the next four games. With Kittle out until at least Week 6 against the Buccaneers, Luke Farrell (42 offensive snaps, 1-4-0 receiving line on one target in Week 1) and Jake Tonges (28 snaps, 3-15-1 line on three targets) are the healthy tight ends left on the 53-man roster. The 49ers are expected to add another tight end or two prior to Sunday's game in New Orleans, but none are likely to command the type of target share that a healthy Kittle would.
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49ers' George Kittle: May miss 3-to-5 weeks
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Kittle likely will miss 3-to-5 weeks due to the hamstring injury he sustained during Sunday's victory at Seattle, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Coach Kyle Shanahan relayed during Monday's media session that Kittle was expected to miss a "few weeks," according to David Lombardi of SFStandard.com. If the timeline that Rapoport put forth is more accurate, though, Kittle would be a candidate to be placed on injured reserve, which would require at least four games on the sideline. For as long as Kittle is out, Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges will serve as San Francisco's tight ends.
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49ers' George Kittle: Out a few weeks
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Kittle will be out a "few weeks" due to the hamstring injury that knocked him out of Sunday's win in Seattle, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.
Kittle was ruled out in the first half with the health concern, and after undergoing an MRI it's been determined that the tight end will need to miss some time. Shanahan's comments indicate Kittle will miss at least this coming Sunday's contest at New Orleans and potentially an NFC West matchup with the Cardinals on Sunday, Sept. 21. Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges are in line for TE snaps for San Francisco for as long as Kittle is sidelined.
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49ers' George Kittle: Set for MRI on hamstring
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Kittle (hamstring) will have an MRI within the next 24 hours to determine the severity of his injury, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Kittle got hurt in the first half of Sunday's 17-13 win over the Seahawks. Jake Tonges stepped up in Kittle's absence, catching the game-winning touchdown pass with 1:34 remaining. Further clarity on a potential recovery timeline for Kittle will come after the MRI. If he sits out against the Saints in Week 2, Kittle will have missed at least one game for a seventh consecutive season.
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49ers' George Kittle: Not slated to suit up Saturday
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Kittle isn't involved in warmups ahead of Saturday's preseason game against the Chargers, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Kittle started last Saturday's exhibition against the Raiders and logged 11 offensive snaps without being targeted by QB Brock Purdy. That will mark his only action of exhibition season. Kittle has had a bit of a resurgence in recent years, coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns (and a 78-1,106-8 line on 94 targets in 15 regular-season games a year ago). The 49ers rewarded the 31-year-old with a four-year, $76.4 million extension in April.
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49ers' George Kittle: Gets four-year extension
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Kittle agreed to a four-year, $76.4 million extension with the 49ers on Tuesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
The deal reportedly includes $40 million guaranteed and likely will lower Kittle's 2025 salary-cap hit, which was previously scheduled to come in at $22.09 million. He'll turn 32 years old in October but hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, coming off a 2024 campaign with a five-year high for receptions (78), six-year high for receiving yards (1,106) and the second most touchdowns of his career (eight). Kittle still hasn't reached triple-digit targets since 2019, but he's capable of handling more volume if injuries to teammates necessitate it. He's typically the third tight end taken in early 2025 fantasy drafts, after Brock Bowers and Trey McBride.
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49ers' George Kittle: Not present for voluntary OTAs
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Kittle is not at team facilities for the start of San Francisco's voluntary offseason workout program, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Kittle and the 49ers have engaged in conversations about a new extension this offseason, though Michael Silver of The Athletic reports that the two sides remain far apart. The tight end is heading into the final season of the five-year, $75 million contract he inked with San Francisco in August of 2020 and is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Kittle is an integral piece of the 49ers' passing game, especially with Deebo Samuel having been traded to the Commanders and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) recovering from right ACL and MCL tears. Until a new deal for quarterback Brock Purdy is ironed out, San Francisco may not have the flexibility to move forward with other contract discussions.
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49ers' George Kittle: Discussing extension
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Kittle's agent has already discussed a contract extension with the 49ers, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Kittle's contract runs through 2025, and while the 49ers may be wary of committing to the 31-year-old beyond the next few years, they'll likely work toward a deal that gives him guarantees for the upcoming season and 2026 while reducing his 2025 cap hit ($22.02 million). Kittle recently revealed that he played with cracked ribs for much of 2024, although it wasn't evident in his performance -- he had the second-most receiving yards (1,106) and second-most TDs (eight) of his eight-year career while posting personal bests for catch rate (83.0 percent) and yards per target (11.8). He did miss two games, due to separate hamstring injuries, and played just 29 percent of snaps in the season finale. In his 14 full games, Kittle fell shy of 40 yards just once and scored double-digit PPR points 12 times, leading tight ends in fantasy points per game in both PPR and standard-scoring formats.
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49ers' George Kittle: Mild output to finish strong season
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Kittle brought in two of three targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 47-24 loss to the Cardinals.
Kittle took a backseat to several teammates in a meaningless game to close out a disappointing year for San Francisco. The superstar tight end has little blame to place on himself after churning out another All-Pro worthy season for fantasy managers. He ranked third among tight ends in receiving yards (1,106) while finishing second in touchdowns (eight). The YAC monster also posted a healthy 14.2 average reception distance in an overall stellar campaign. Kittle will be entering the fifth and final year of his current contract as the 49ers look to bounce back from a 6-11 record in 2025.
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49ers' George Kittle: Questionable for Week 18
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Kittle (ankle/hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Kittle returned to a limited practice Thursday after sitting out Wednesday. He doesn't have anything to play for in terms of playoff implications or contract incentives, but that doesn't mean he won't give it a go ahead of Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.
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49ers' George Kittle: Logs limited practice Thursday
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Kittle (ankle/hamstring) was limited at practice Thursday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
One day removed from not practicing due to ankle and hamstring issues, Kittle was back on the field, albeit with a cap on his reps. The 49ers may tag the tight end with an injury designation once they post their final Week 18 injury report Friday, but if he's ultimately able to suit up Sunday at Arizona, he'll be working with Joshua Dobbs under center instead of typical No. 1 option Brock Purdy, who is dealing a contusion and nerve inflammation in his right throwing elbow.
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49ers' George Kittle: Tending to pair of injuries
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Kittle won't practice Wednesday due to ankle and hamstring injuries, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Kittle has missed two games this season due to health concerns, but it's unclear if he's in danger of sitting out again Sunday at Arizona. He's put together three 100-yard efforts in the last four contests en route to a 26-430-0 line on 30 targets during that stretch. Ultimately, the next two days of practice likely will determine whether or not Kittle will have a chance to build on his recent hot streak this weekend.
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49ers' George Kittle: Another 100-yard effort
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Kittle corralled all eight of his targets for 112 yards in Monday's 40-34 loss to the Lions.
Kittle was able to crack the century mark in receiving yards in consecutive games and for the third time over his last four appearances. Monday's strong showing also propelled the superstar tight end to his fourth 1,000-yard season in eight years as a pro. Kittle will look to put a bow on a stellar fantasy campaign Week 18 against the Cardinals, but he may be without the services of starting quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow) after the latter exited Monday's loss late due to injury.
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49ers' George Kittle: Leads team with 106 yards
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Kittle corralled eight of nine targets for 106 yards in Sunday's 29-17 loss to the Dolphins.
Kittle led the 49ers in receiving Sunday en route to his third game with 100 or more receiving yards this season. The star tight end brought his season line up to 68-967-8 in 13 starts, putting him just 33 yards shy of his fourth career 1,000-yard campaign. Kittle has a great shot at reaching that achievement in Week 17 when the 49ers host the Lions for Monday Night Football.
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49ers' George Kittle: Team-high yardage total in loss
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Kittle secured four of seven targets for 61 yards in the 49ers' 12-6 loss to the Rams on Thursday night.
Kittle co-led the 49ers in receptions while comfortably setting the pace in receiving yards. While the talented tight end's performance was nowhere near the caliber of the season-best 151-yard effort he put up against the Bears in Week 14, he's now eclipsed 60 receiving yards in five of the last seven contests heading into a Week 16 road matchup against the Dolphins on Sunday, Dec. 22.
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49ers' George Kittle: Goes YAC mode on CHI
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Kittle had six receptions on as many targets for 151 yards in Sunday's 38-13 win over Chicago.
Kittle played like a man possessed against the Bears after recording just one reception for seven yards the week prior. Weather played a huge role in the road stinker against Buffalo, so Sunday's sunny conditions allowed the star tight end to feast on Chicago's defense. Kittle upped his season line to 56-800-8 in the much-needed win, confirming the tight end's upper-echelon status in fantasy ahead of Thursday's primetime tilt against the Rams.
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49ers' George Kittle: Just one catch Sunday
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Kittle had one reception (on two targets) for seven yards in Sunday's 35-10 loss to Buffalo.
The 49ers threw for just 94 yards on the road in a snowstorm in Buffalo, resulting in paltry stat lines for Kittle and most of the team's other pass catchers in the blowout loss. The star tight end had been on an absolute tear this season, so fantasy managers should write Sunday's poor showing off as an anomaly. The 49ers return home to California for next Sunday's matchup against the Bears, which should ease any concerns Kittle's shareholders heading into Week 14.
