George Kittle’s availability for Week 1 is suddenly looking a lot better.
Just before the San Francisco 49ers met the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the All-Pro tight end had another encouraging checkup in Los Angeles with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the orthopedic surgeon who handled Kittle’s torn Achilles surgery in January.
“49ers tight end George Kittle visited Wednesday in Los Angeles with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the surgery on his torn Achilles in January. It was said to be an encouraging visit,” Schefter posted via the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
Schefter followed that up with even more positive news for San Francisco.
“Kittle’s recovery is ahead of schedule, and it gives him a legitimate chance to play in the regular season opener in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams,” Schefter added.
That update matters for a 49ers team that is preparing for roster cuts once the NFL preseason wraps up, and it gives head coach Kyle Shanahan more breathing room before the opener in Melbourne. If Kittle is ready, San Francisco won’t need to lean on Jake Tonges, Brayden Willis or Luke Farrell against a Rams defense now led by Myles Garrett.
The Kittle-Garrett matchup had already started to take shape as one of the more intriguing showdowns in the NFC West. With this latest report, it suddenly looks like that battle could actually happen.
For now, the expectation is that Kittle should be in good shape for Sept. 10.
The 49ers are also watching another All-Pro closely in Christian McCaffrey, who is dealing with “muscle tightness.” Even so, the team believes he should be ready by the time San Francisco heads to Australia.
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Kirks case has become especially tricky because the injury interruptions have stacked up alongside a dip in production, which puts him in the middle of a real cut conversation rather than a routine depth chart debate. Colby, meanwhile, is fighting a different kind of battle, one centered on the starting guard job and the sort of interior competition Kyle Shanahan and Chris Foerster tend to use as a true test of who can hold up when the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]