Kyle Shanahan’s Latest Update About George Kittle’s Recovery Could Frustrate 49ers Fans

George Kittle has not completely recovered from his ACL injury.

Kyle Shanahan’s Latest Update About George Kittle’s Recovery Could Frustrate 49ers Fans

George Kittle (Image via IMAGO)

George Kittle left the San Francisco 49ers’ wildcard victory over the Philadelphia Eagles with an ACL tear. The Niners placed Kittle on the season-ending injured reserve list. Even though Kittle made great progress during the offseason, his rehab has hit a snag.

Following Friday’s preseason victory against the Las Vegas Raiders, head coach Kyle Shanahan made a concerning announcement regarding Kittle’s rehab. A reporter asked Shanahan whether he had any injuries to report besides wide receiver Rickey Pearsall.

There are just guys who are going to be close, guys like Mykel Williams, guys like George Kittle who has taken a step back, want to see how Nick Bosa does in these practices. They’re guys who are healthy and doing good, but are they ready to get back and play right away?

Kyle Shanahan said in the recent presser.

A hamstring injury on opening day of the 2025 season kept Kittle out for the following six games. He was activated ahead of the Week 8 fixture against the Houston Texans. Kittle made 11 appearances, caught 57 passes for 628 yards and scored 7 touchdowns, earning his seventh career Pro Bowl selection.

The Niners started in the wildcard clash against the Eagles. But he left the match after catching just one pass for six yards. Later, the Niners confirmed that he had suffered an ACL tear. The All-Pro athlete missed the early phase of the offseason training, including the OTAs. However, he joined the Niners at spring camp, per Pro Football Talk. On August 23, he was placed on the PUP list. And now, his rehab will take longer to complete.

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49ers insider delivers a stern warning about George Kittle

The Niners will kick off the 2026 NFL season by playing the Los Angeles Rams. The only issue is that both teams travel to Australia for the fixture.

Kyle Shanahan's Latest Update About George Kittle's Recovery Could Frustrate 49ers Fans
George Kittle (Image via IMAGO)

49ers insider Grant Cohn wants the Niners to avoid taking Kittle down under because the journey might do more harm than good.

[George Kittle’s] too important in December and January to risk his season in early September when he’s less than a year removed from an Achilles tear. No matter how good Kittle says he feels, the 49ers should leave him home for the season opener and play the Rams in Australia without him. If they lose, that would be better than losing Kittle to a serious setback that could knock him out for months, if not longer.

Cohn wrote in his latest article

Kittle signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract extension with the 49ers last year.

George Kittle gives his honest opinion on rookie wide receiver

The Niners underwent massive changes in the offense. Jauan Jennings was allowed to join a different team, Pearsall was placed on IR, and Brandon Aiyuk has been frozen from the team.

The Niners signed Super Bowl winner Mike Evans and drafted former Ole Miss star De’Zhaun Stribling. Stribling impressed the Niners coaches and teammates during camp and in the preseason.

I love what Stribling’s doing right now. My favorite thing about Strib is actually just his mindset every single day. Like, there’s no ego at all… He’s not sensitive whatsoever. He’s got the right mindset for everything. He shows up every day, and I think he just works really, really hard.

Kittle said earlier this month

Stribling caught 11 passes for 109 yards in two preseason appearances. He had 811 yards and 6 touchdowns on 55 catches for the Rebels in his final college football season.

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