The 49ers got a dose of good news on George Kittle just as they were getting ready for Thursday night.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Kittle spent Wednesday in Los Angeles with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the orthopedic surgeon who repaired his torn Achilles in January, and the visit was described as encouraging. The update on Kittle’s recovery is that he is ahead of schedule, which gives him a real shot to be on the field for the regular season opener in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams.
That’s a much better outlook than where things could have been, and Kittle hasn’t been shy about his own expectations. Last Sunday, he said he believes he’ll be back sooner than later and wasn’t thinking about starting the season on the PUP list.
For Kittle, the biggest question wasn’t just whether his body would be ready - it was whether he’d have enough football reps before the trip overseas. He made it clear he didn’t want his first game action in pads to come in Week 1. As he put it, “you can train all you want, but you have to play football to get into football shape.”
The timeline is tight, but it’s not empty. The 49ers are exactly three weeks away from facing the Rams, and they’ve been working about four times a week, with two walk-throughs mixed in. That schedule has also included joint practices and preseason games, which matters because it gives Kittle a chance to ease back into the kind of work that counts.
If he’s back on the field for practice this Saturday, he’d still have roughly a week of practices to build up his cardio before the opener.
In Other News...
49ers Roster Battle Took A Turn During This Preseason Blowout
The 49ers turned a preseason blowout into a long look at the bottom of the roster, and the game quickly became more about auditions than the score. Brock Purdy played briefly before giving way, San Francisco was up 20-3 by halftime and stretched the margin to 41-9 in the second half, opening the door for a cluster of rookies and fringe players to get extended snaps in a live setting.
Jacob Cowing, DeZhaun Stribling, Kaelon Black, Carver Willis, Austen Pleasants and Jalen Stroman all saw meaningful action, with the results mixed as the staff sorted through a crowded roster battle. Adrian Martinez handled the second half and left a little bit of everything on the tape, including a pick-six, but also a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown as the 49ers kept the scoreboard moving while the evaluation window stayed wide open. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Injury Pileup Is Raising New Concerns Before Week 1
The 49ers left their preseason game against the Chargers with more than just the usual August bruises. Guard Austen Pleasants was ruled out with a knee injury, and rookie cornerback Renardo Green also left the contest and was questionable to return before ultimately not coming back. For a team trying to get through camp healthy and ready for Week 1, those are the kinds of exits that can linger well beyond one exhibition game.
Kyle Shanahans update on the defensive front added another layer to the concern, even if it came with some cautious optimism. He said Nick Bosa is making progress, while Mykel Williams is still trending toward missing the season opener. With the regular season approaching, the 49ers are once again navigating the uncomfortable mix of waiting, monitoring, and hoping the injury report does not keep growing. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Facing Uncomfortable Roster Calls As Two Camp Battles Intensify
The 49ers are moving deeper into preseason evaluation mode, and a couple of roster questions are starting to feel less like camp chatter and more like decisions the front office may have to live with. Christian McCaffrey remains part of the bigger picture, but the more immediate pressure is on players such as Kirk and Colby, whose place on the roster now depends on how the team weighs performance, health, and fit as August unfolds.
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 🡒]