George Kittle Won't Return to 49ers Preseason Game Because of Shoulder Injury

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter of Thursday's preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

Per NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco, Kittle has been ruled out for the remainder of the game. 

The 24-year-old is entering his second year in the league after being one of the more pleasant surprises for the 49ers during his rookie season.

Although Kittle was a fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft, he didn't take long to showcase his skill set while finishing his first year with 43 catches for 515 yards and two touchdowns. He was especially impressive down the stretch once Jimmy Garoppolo took over at quarterback.

While Kittle only started seven of his 15 games last season, he is a much bigger part of the offense in 2018.

This makes the latest injury a damaging one for a 49ers team hoping to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

Garrett Celek should see an increase in playing time and targets while Kittle is unavailable.