San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has taken a significant step toward being ready to play in Week 1 of the regular season.
Kittle was officially activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list on Sunday. The move allows Kittle to begin practicing fully with the 49ers with about two-and-a-half weeks to go before the team opens the regular season in Melbourne, Australia.
Big news: The #49ers have activated TE George Kittle from the Active/Physically Unable to Perform List. A step toward being on the field Week 1. pic.twitter.com/kPONCej84W
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 23, 2026
Kittle tore his Achilles in January’s Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He has subsequently missed the entire offseason of workouts, and thus will need some time to get himself fully back into game shape.
All along, Kittle has maintained that his goal is to play in Week 1. That is despite the fact that the usual timeline for such injuries is 9-12 months, meaning Kittle would essentially be right at the low end of the spectrum.
Injuries have been an increasing issue for Kittle in recent seasons. He was limited to 11 games last season, which contributed to his underwhelming campaign of 57 catches for 628 yards. He still hauled in seven touchdowns, though.
