George Kittle Injury Update Revealed in New 49ers Rumors amid Uncertainty vs. Rams in NFL TNF Opener

George Kittle is reportedly trending toward playing in his team's season opener against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 10 in Australia.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday the San Francisco 49ers tight end is expected to practice during the upcoming week as he continues to recover from the torn Achilles he suffered last season.

Schefter reported there is a "legitimate chance" Kittle will take the field against the division rivals.

Kittle isn't the only notable 49ers offensive playmaker dealing with injury concerns ahead of the season, as both running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Mike Evans have missed practice time.

Yet McCaffrey told reporters he is on schedule to play against the Rams, while ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Evans also plans to play.

That is welcome news for San Francisco, as the trio of McCaffrey, Evans and Kittle can be among the best in the league when they are all healthy.

Kittle was activated from the active/physically unable to perform list last Sunday, which was perhaps the biggest indication he was working his way back in time for the game against the Rams.

He was also reportedly ahead of schedule earlier this month:

The Iowa product suffered the injury during San Francisco's win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild-Card Round on Jan. 11. The team certainly missed his presence in the following week's playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, as he is one of the best tight ends in the sport.

Kittle's resume includes two First-Team All-Pro nods, seven Pro Bowl selections and four seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards. He finished the 2025 campaign with 57 catches for 628 yards and seven touchdowns after posting 1,106 receiving yards in 2024.

San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle are all coming off playoff appearances and figure to be in the mix of realistic contenders again this season. That means the head-to-head games will be important for tiebreaker and seeding purposes, so having Kittle back for the first one against the Rams would be a significant development for the 49ers.