Kittle was a limited participant on the 49ers' practice estimate Monday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Kittle played through his rib injury in Week 4's 24-23 loss to Arizona, and finished with eight receptions (12 targets) for 64 yards and a touchdown. It looks like the issue is still bothering him, but he was at least still able to log a limited practice estimate. More clarity on his status will come as the week progresses. The veteran tight end has hauled in 23 passes (29 targets) for 225 yards and three touchdowns across four games. Eric Saubert would presumably be next-man-up if Kittle's injury happens to worsen in this short week.
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49ers' George Kittle: Suiting up Sunday
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Kittle (ribs) is listed as active Sunday versus the Cardinals, Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers' official site reports.
Kittle will continue to play through the rib injury that briefly resulted in a questionable to return tag last Sunday against the Patriots. The issue capped him to only one limited practice (Friday) during Week 5 prep, but considering he finished Week 4 with a 94 percent snap share, he should be able to handle a similar workload this weekend. Assuming he garners enough looks from QB Brock Purdy, Kittle is in a good spot to produce against an Arizona defense that has allowed the fifth-most YPT (8.65) to opposing tight ends this season.
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49ers' George Kittle: Expected to play Sunday
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Kittle (ribs) is listed as questionable but is expected to play Sunday versus the Cardinals, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Kittle missed a pair of practices during Week 5 prep but was able to return to a limited practice session Friday. The limited session looks to have been enough for the 49ers to feel confident about Kittle's chances of playing Sunday, and it doesn't appear that he'll have any limitations. Kittle missed Week 3 against the Rams due to a hamstring injury, then hurt his ribs in the first half of the team's Week 4 win against New England but was able to return after halftime and finish out the contest. An official ruling on Kittle's status for Sunday's game will come around 2:35 p.m. ET, when the 49ers will release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to kickoff.
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49ers' George Kittle: Listed as questionable
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Kittle (ribs) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Kittle returned to practice Friday after missing the two previous sessions, and while he didn't show enough to avoid a game designation, David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard notes that the tight end was "moving around well" during Friday's practice. Fantasy managers would still be wise to have a backup plan on hand in case Kittle takes a turn for the worse ahead of the 49ers' 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff this Sunday.
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49ers' George Kittle: Returns to practice
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Kittle (ribs) is practicing Friday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
It's a strong hint that Kittle's injury isn't serious even though he missed practice Wednesday and Thursday. The 49ers tend to be cautious with his practice workloads, as he has a lengthy history of injuries and is approaching his 31st birthday (Oct. 9).
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49ers' George Kittle: Officially DNP on Thursday
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Kittle (ribs) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
A rib injury has been attached to Kittle since he was reported to be questionable to return at halftime of this past Sunday's win against the Patriots. He didn't miss a beat as he was back in the game for the 49ers' first possession of the third quarter, finishing with a 94 percent snap share and four catches (on four targets) for 45 yards and one touchdown. Coach Kyle Shanahan termed Kittle day-to-day Monday, but the tight end has followed that up with back-to-back DNPs to begin Week 5 prep. On a positive note, Kittle was spotted in uniform and working on the side Thursday, per Wagoner, so he may be trending in the right direction. Ultimately, Friday's practice report will reveal whether or not Kittle enters the weekend with a designation for Sunday's contest versus the Cardinals.
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49ers' George Kittle: Working on side Thursday
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Kittle (ribs) was seen working on the side at the beginning of Thursday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Kittle was in uniform, but he didn't participate in any of the individual work in front of the media. If he doesn't practice for a second day in a row, he'll have just one more chance Friday to get in some work before he potentially enters the weekend with a designation for Sunday's contest against the Cardinals. Coach Kyle Shanahan termed Kittle day-to-day Monday, so even if the tight end doesn't mix into any drills this week, he seemingly has a decent chance to play Week 5.
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49ers' George Kittle: Sitting out Wednesday
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Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Kittle (ribs) won't take part in Wednesday's practice, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.
After Shanahan termed Kittle day-to-day Monday, it comes as no surprise that the 49ers are taking a cautious approach with the veteran tight end, especially considering all the injuries that have affected the skill positions through just four games this season. Kittle will have two more chances for on-field work this week before San Francisco potentially tags him with a designation ahead of Sunday's contest against the Cardinals.
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49ers' George Kittle: Deemed 'day-to-day' this week
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Kittle (ribs) will be "day-to-day" this week, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
During Sunday's win against the Patriots, Kittle was announced as questionable to return due to a rib injury at halftime, but he was able to join the 49ers offense for the team's first offensive possession of the second half and play out the remainder of the contest. His snap share (94 percent) didn't deviate from his normal workload, and he finished with four catches (on four targets) for 45 yards and one touchdown. Because of Shanahan's comments, Kittle likely isn't in danger of sitting out this coming Sunday versus the Cardinals, but he may endure some practice limitations Wednesday through Friday.
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49ers' George Kittle: Scores TD amid injury scare
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Kittle (ribs/hamstring) corralled all four of his targets for 45 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 30-13 win over the Patriots.
Kittle was already returning from a hamstring injury that cost him the Week 3 tilt against the Rams before needing to leave Sunday's contest against the Patriots with a rib injury. The physical tight end gets banged up often, but he generally toughs it out whenever possible, illustrated by the fact that Kittle returned promptly from the medical tent while tacking on another catch before finishing off the win over New England. Do not be surprised if the eight-year pro pops up on the injury report leading up to Week 5, but assuming the fantasy stud suits up against Arizona, he makes for a strong play after providing at least four catches and 40 yards in three active games while nabbing two touchdowns for managers thus far this season.
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49ers' George Kittle: Back in Sunday's game
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Kittle (ribs) reentered Sunday's game versus the Patriots, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Kittle was deemed questionable to return at halftime due to a rib injury, but he was able to mix back into the 49ers offense on the team's first drive of the third quarter. He'll look to build upon a 3-38-1 line on three targets from the first half.
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49ers' George Kittle: Hurts ribs Sunday
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Kittle suffered a rib injury during Sunday's game against the Patriots, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Kittle sat out a Week 3 road loss to the Rams due to a hamstring injury, but he was able to return after just one game missed. He's now dealing with a new health concern, and prior to the 49ers announcing it at halftime of Sunday's contest, he gathered in all three targets for 38 yards and one touchdown. Eric Saubert and Jake Tonges are the remaining healthy tight ends on the active roster.
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49ers' George Kittle: Returning for Week 4
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Kittle (hamstring) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Patriots, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Kittle returned to practice Wednesday and continued participating throughout the week, eventually showing enough to avoid a game designation. Deebo Samuel, meanwhile, is listed as questionable with a calf injury, so it isn't yet clear if the 49ers will have all of their top pass catchers available.
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49ers' George Kittle: Remains limited Thursday
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Kittle (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis Thursday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Kittle has put together back-to-back capped sessions during Week 4 prep, implying that he's doing everything in his power to keep his absence to just one game after he popped up on last Thursday's injury report due to hamstring tightness. He may have to upgrade to full at Friday's practice in order to go into the weekend without a designation for Sunday's contest versus the Patriots.
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49ers' George Kittle: May return to practice this week
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Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that the 49ers are hopeful Kittle (hamstring) returns to practice this week, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Kittle was a mid-week addition to the 49ers' injury report last week due to hamstring tightness, which kept him out of drills Thursday and Friday and during Sunday's loss to the Rams. San Francisco will issue its first Week 4 practice report Wednesday, at which point it'll become known if he'll be able to join his teammates on the practice field. In Kittle's place this past weekend, Eric Saubert (two catches for 41 yards on two targets) started and handled 61 of 71 offensive snaps, while Jake Tonges earned 16 snaps and Brayden Willis played four snaps.
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49ers' George Kittle: Now out for Sunday
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Kittle (hamstring) has been downgraded to out and will not play Sunday against the Rams, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
This was the likely outcome given Kittle was listed as doubtful on Friday's injury report. Eric Saubert will get the start at tight end, and Jake Tonges could get more pass-catching opportunities at the position as well.
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49ers' George Kittle: Officially doubtful
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Kittle (hamstring) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Rams, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Kittle was first listed on the injury report Thursday as a non-participant and then missed another practice Friday. It's bad timing for a 49ers offense that's already without RB Christian McCaffrey (IR, Achilles) and WR Deebo Samuel (out, calf), leaving WR Brandon Aiyuk as the far-and-away No. 1 option after he caught only six of 10 targets for 71 yards over the first two weeks of the season. Eric Saubert figures to start at tight end this Sunday, but Aiyuk and fellow wideout Jauan Jennings are more likely to benefit from Kittle's absence in a way that matters for fantasy football. Jake Tonges could play ahead of Saubert in passing situations, and it's also possible the various injuries lead to FB Kyle Juszczyk getting more snaps and/or touches.
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49ers' George Kittle: Missing another practice
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Kittle (hamstring) isn't practicing Friday, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
It's a poor sign for his Week 3 availability after Kittle was a mid-week addition to the injury report, as he initially was listed as a non-participant Thursday. Another absence suggests this is more than just caution over minor soreness or tightness, likely setting Kittle up for a game designation on the final injury report ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Rams.
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49ers' George Kittle: Misses practice with hammy injury
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Kittle won't practice Thursday due to a hamstring injury, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Kittle wasn't included on the 49ers' initial Week 3 injury report, but he'll be given Thursday off after experiencing tightness in his hamstring coming out of Wednesday's practice session, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. The mid-week absence suddenly threatens Kittle's availability for Sunday's game against the Rams, but the 49ers won't decide whether he'll carry a designation into the weekend until after Friday's practice. With starting wideout Deebo Samuel (calf) already expected to miss Sunday's contest, Kittle's status takes on even greater significance than usual.
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49ers' George Kittle: Nabs four receptions in MNF win
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Kittle corralled four of five targets for 40 yards in Monday's 32-19 win over the Jets.
Kittle finished as San Francisco's third leading receiver on a night where the passing attack was only needed for 225 yards and no touchdowns. All things considered, the star tight end had a solid game given the opportunities present. The rushing attack shined against the Jets on Monday, producing 180 yards and two touchdowns on 38 attempts. Kittle and the 49ers' passing attack will look to get into the scoring action themselves in a Week 2 matchup against the Vikings.
