The San Francisco 49ers will face the Los Angeles Rams in Australia in Week 1 on Sept. 10 as both teams look to start the 2026 NFL season with a win. Nonetheless, one of the questions for the Niners will be whether George Kittle is ready to go for that game.
Kittle is recovering from a torn Achilles that he suffered earlier this year in the NFC Wild Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite being in his 30s and the cautious approach being that the veteran tight end should start on the physically unable to perform list, that might not be the case.
While speaking to the media on June 3, Kittle shared the latest on his injury, and his words sounded like those of someone optimistic about where he’s at in the process.
“I’m doing great today,” Kittle told reporters. “Had a wonderful day. It’s a beautiful day. The boys are playing football. Personally, I’m doing awesome. My wife’s a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model. Good for me.
“And my Achilles is doing great. No setbacks in my recovery. Checking all the boxes, doing everything I’m supposed to do. My surgeon’s super happy. My physical therapist in LA, who works with him, is super happy. The Niners are happy. I’m happy.”
George Kittle Leaves Week 1 return as a Possibility
Moreover, Kittle noted that he’s ahead of schedule, which makes him optimistic about a Week 1 return against the Rams.
“Realistic? Yeah,” Kittle said about returning in Week 1. “At this point, even when I had the surgery and [Dr. Neal ElAttrache] told me, he said, ‘Hey, I think if you just take this, if you do everything the right way, you have a chance. It definitely ignites something and makes you push for it. So we’re on track. We’re ahead of schedule.’”
Last season, Kittle posted a 90.8 overall PFF grade for the 49ers. Moreover, he recorded 57 receptions on 66 targets for 628 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 11.0 yards per reception and generating 259 yards after the catch.
It will be interesting to see if Kittle can return or even surprass his production from last season to show that his injury isn’t going to slow him down.
Should the 49ers Take a Cautious Approach With George Kittle?
Despite Kittle saying he’s ahead of schedule, 49ers on SI’s Grant Cohn believes that the team should take a cautious approach and not allow him to play in Week 1.
“A lot of people are still talking about George Kittle coming back in Week 1, but I’d say there’s a 0 percent chance of that happening, maybe a 0.00001 percent chance,” Cohn said in a May 11 video on his YouTube channel. “I think what’s more likely is that he starts the season on the PUP list, misses the first four games, and then the team reevaluates things from there. I don’t see why Kittle’s return wouldn’t be handled slowly and conservatively.
“He’s too important, and at his age, there’s no reason to rush him back and risk another injury. He already came back too quickly from a torn hamstring and then tore his Achilles. It feels like one injury can lead to another because of imbalances, so the team has to be careful.”
