The San Francisco 49ers took a real gut punch in the first half of Sunday’s playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In the second quarter of the NFC Wild Card round game between the 49ers and Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa., 49ers tight end George Kittle caught a short pass to the right side on a 1st-and-10 play. As he was bracing himself for the tackle by Eagles safety Marcus Epps, Kittle planted his right foot into the turf.
His leg ended up bending awkwardly as a result, and Kittle quickly crumpled to the ground. He would eventually have to leave the game in the back of a medical cart.
Here is the video.
George Kittle was carted off after suffering an apparent right leg injury
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 11, 2026
(FOX) pic.twitter.com/u6S6Vm6oZ9
San Francisco later shared the update that Kittle had been ruled out for the rest of the game with an Achilles injury.
The 32-year-old Kittle is a seven-time Pro Bowler as well as a five-time All-Pro selection who is arguably the most complete all-around tight end in the NFL today. But injuries were already a problem for Kittle during the regular season as he appeared in just 11 of 17 games due to both hamstring and ankle issues.
San Francisco went into halftime on Sunday trailing Philadelphia by a 13-10 score. During a season in which they have already endured a lot with some of their other star pass-catchers, the 49ers will be hoping that Kittle’s non-contact injury is somehow not nearly as devastating as it looked to be there.
