49ers' George Kittle Says He Wants to Avoid Being a 'Dumbass' in Injury Update Ahead of NFL Week 1

George Kittle has quite the approach to his injury rehab ahead of the Sept. 10 season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.

"I have a chance," he said as he recovers from the torn Achilles he suffered on Jan. 11 in a playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. "We're running around a lot, hitting top speeds. Hopefully we're back in pads practicing sooner than later. Just trying to check the boxes and not be a dumbass."

As long as he follows that plan, he said he's "very confident" he will be activated from the physically unable to perform list.

That would mean he wasn't forced to miss the first four games, even if he wasn't ready for the opener in Australia.

"It was pretty easy to light a fire every day," Kittle said of being motivated when he was told he could be ready for that opener.

It is certainly a unique one given the travel involved to get to Australia. The 49ers will also have 10 days off in between the first game and their second one against the Miami Dolphins, which would give Kittle more time to recover whether he faces the Rams or not.

While it stands out being in Australia, it is also an important one. The NFC West figures to once again be strong with the Seattle Seahawks, Rams and 49ers all coming off playoff appearances. Seattle defeated the Rams in the NFC Championship Game and then went on to win the Super Bowl.

Those are the teams San Francisco could be chasing chasing, which means the head-to-head contests that will determine tiebreakers carry that much more importance.

And the 49ers will have a much better chance to earn a key early win if Kittle is on the field.