George Kittle Will Be Activated from IR for 49ers vs. Cardinals After Missing 3 Games

The San Francisco 49ers received good news ahead of their crucial matchup with the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. 

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Friday that tight end George Kittle will be activated off injured reserve after he missed the previous three games with a calf injury. 

Kittle had been listed on the official injury report with a calf issue leading up to San Francisco's games in Week 3 and 4, but he was able to play through it both times.  

After the Week 4 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Kittle was placed on injured reserve. Shanahan told reporters at the time that the injury "just got a lot worse" before they made the roster move. 

This marks the second consecutive season that Kittle has had a stint on IR. The two-time Pro Bowler missed six games in 2020 with a broken bone in his foot. He also missed two games earlier in the year because of a knee injury. 

Kittle was off to a slow start this year with 227 yards and zero touchdowns in four games. The 28-year-old averaged 73.7 catches, 1,021 yards and four touchdowns per season from 2018-20. 

The 49ers ended their four-game losing streak with a 33-22 win over the Chicago Bears last week. They can get back to the .500 mark if they can defeat the 7-1 Cardinals on Sunday.