George Kittle is going full “never tell me the odds” mode.
The San Francisco 49ers tight end Kittle is not expected to miss the majority of the 2026 NFL season after his Achilles tear, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reported on Tuesday. Barrows even goes so far as to say that Kittle is targeting Week 1 for his return to the field.
Kittle, 32, suffered his Achilles injury during the 49ers’ Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 11. While hauling in a pass from teammate Brock Purdy, Kittle’s leg planted awkwardly into the turf, resulting in the full rupture of his right Achilles tendon (see the video here).
The seven-time Pro Bowler Kittle is now one month removed from that injury and still has another seven months to go before the start of the 2026 season. That said, Achilles tears are usually 8-to-12-month injuries for NFL players, meaning that Kittle’s target of Week 1 seems a bit optimistic.
Kittle just completed his ninth career season with the 49ers, who would lose to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round. Overall on the year, Kittle hauled in 57 passes for 628 yards and seven touchdowns over 11 games (after missing time during the regular season due to an unrelated hamstring injury).
The five-time All-Pro selection Kittle is under contract with the 49ers through 2029 and has a total cap hit of $16.1 million in 2026. Though he might be a little too ambitious in shooting for Week 1, it is clear that Kittle (who also went viral for his request after his injury) does not plan to be out for too long.
