The San Francisco 49ers are sure hoping that star tight end George Kittle can be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
Kittle suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the 49ers’ Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and now, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the goal is that the tight end will be ready to start the season.
Kyle Shanahan told @ESPNNFL that George Kittle is shooting to return Week 1 against the Rams from his Achilles injury. Unclear if Kittle is indeed on track for that, but that's where he's aiming
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) April 30, 2026
The initial timeframe for Kittle’s return was somewhere between 8 and 12 months, which is the average for a torn Achilles injury. So, the expectation had been that Kittle could return for Week 1 if everything goes well, and Shanahan continued with that sentiment on Thursday.
Kittle, who was selected by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, has spent his entire career with the franchise and has made the Pro Bowl seven times.
The 49ers’ offense has seen some changes with Mike Evans and Christian Kirk signing in free agency. Tight ends coach Brian Fleury left to become the new offensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks after Klint Kubiak took the head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Nonetheless, it is encouraging that the team is hopeful that George Kittle can return for Week 1, and his status will be one to monitor throughout the summer.
