George Kittle’s Week 1 status is suddenly down to the wire, and the 49ers should have their answer soon.
Ian Rapoport reported that the San Francisco tight end has a shot to face the Los Angeles Rams in the opener, but the team still needs more information before making that call. Those answers are expected over the next couple of days as the club sorts out whether Kittle is ready for the trip to Melbourne.
Kittle’s return has been moving in the right direction for a while. He tore his right Achilles on Jan. 11 in Philadelphia after a six-yard catch in a wild-card win, and his rehab has now progressed to team work. The 49ers activated him from the PUP list on Aug. 23, keeping him eligible before Week 5.
Rapoport described the situation as a brief evaluation rather than a full green light. “George Kittle has a chance to play into the opener,” he said. “The 49ers star needs more information over the next couple days to know for sure.”
Practice footage has already shown No. 85 back in pads, jogging, talking with teammates and getting on the field. Kyle Shanahan has pushed back on any talk of a setback, saying, “George has been great. He’s passing everything,” while also making clear he wants to see Kittle get through three team sessions first.
“I hope there’s not a setback in that way,” Shanahan said. He added that the concern is tied to contact work, not the Achilles injury itself.
Kittle has made it clear he won’t force the issue just to make the long trip if he isn’t ready. “I want to play in every football game that I possibly can play in,” he said earlier. “But I’m also aware it’s an 18-week season.”
He laid out the fallback plan pretty plainly, too. “If you miss Week 1 and you’re playing Week 2, hey, it is what it is.”
Kittle also said he would rather continue rehabbing at home than spend time in a Melbourne hotel if he can’t suit up. That leaves the 49ers with a practical deadline, because the roster plane leaves around Sept. 2 and kickoff comes Thursday night, Sept. 10, which is Friday local time in Australia.
For now, Kittle has labeled his outlook a “chance,” and that’s where things stand. If the next two practices go cleanly, he should be on the jet. If swelling shows up, he likely stays in Santa Clara.
That uncertainty also leaves Jake Tonges as the Week 1 insurance option. Christian McCaffrey is back in team drills as well, and the offense is clearly hoping both players make the trip.
Kittle turns 33 in October, and he remains a central piece of San Francisco’s offense and a red-zone threat. The next few days will decide whether he’s on the field in Week 1 or waiting for Week 2.
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