The San Francisco 49ers are expected to be without one of their most dynamic offensive weapons when they take on the Chicago Bears this Sunday. Star tight end George Kittle is considered “highly unlikely” to play, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Kittle suffered the injury during Monday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, a contest the 49ers ultimately won 48-27. The play in question came in the third quarter on a first-and-10 when Brock Purdy hit Kittle for a 22-yard gain.
It was a physical, awkward-looking tackle that Kittle later described as a “hip-drop” by Colts safety Cam Bynum. His ankle got caught in the turf, and the result was an injury that’s now threatening his availability in Week 17.
“I feel like I got hip dropped, ankle got stuck in the grass or the turf, the cork turf, really weird field,” Kittle said in his postgame comments. “Tried to tape it up, went in in the third quarter, really got worse from there. If I can't run very fast or plant, I think it's better to have other tight ends in there making plays.”
That’s classic Kittle-team-first, even when he’s hurting. And for a guy known for his toughness, the fact that he couldn’t power through this one says a lot about the severity of the injury.
He did try to return. With just under five minutes left in the third quarter, Kittle ran a crossing route on third-and-long.
But as he tried to cut, he pulled up and visibly limped through the rest of the play. He made it off the field under his own power, but once on the sideline, he sat on the bench, clearly in pain.
He was ruled “questionable” to return but never came back into the game.
Through 10 games this season, Kittle has been a major piece of the 49ers’ offensive puzzle. He’s hauled in 52 receptions for 599 yards and 7 touchdowns-numbers that only tell part of the story. His blocking, leadership, and ability to stretch the field from the tight end spot are critical to what Kyle Shanahan’s offense does.
Without Kittle, the 49ers will have to lean more heavily on their depth at tight end and possibly shift more targets to their wide receiver corps. It’s a significant loss if he can’t go, especially with playoff positioning on the line.
We’ll continue to monitor his status as Sunday approaches, but for now, it looks like San Francisco will be without one of its most reliable and explosive playmakers.