The San Francisco 49ers have been a battered squad, but received some good news that one of their key players is eyeing a return.
San Francisco‘s George Kittle has been optimistic about his return from an Achilles injury he suffered in the 49ers’ wild card-round win over the Philadelphia Eagles, eyeing a potential return date of Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season; the Niners kick off their season in Melbourne, Australia to face NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams.
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ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Kittle’s recovery timeline is “ahead of schedule,” further clarifying his Week 1 status.
“Kittle visited Wednesday in Los Angeles with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the surgery on his torn Achilles in January. It was said to be an encouraging visit,” Schefter said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Kittle’s recovery is ahead of schedule, and it gives him a legitimate chance to play in the regular season opener in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams.”
The 32-year-old tight end is currently listed on the roster’s physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Just a month ago, Kittle was seen deadlifting 665 pounds as he worked to return from a torn Achilles injury.
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The former All-Pro appeared in 11 games for the 49ers during the 2025 season, tallying 57 catches on 69 targets for 628 yards and 7 touchdowns. He averaged 11 yards per catch.
Kittle is entering his 10th NFL season, all spent with the 49ers. He has compiled 595 catches on 802 targets for 8,008 yards and 52 touchdowns, while averaging 13.5 yards per catch in 124 games played.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: George Kittle ‘ahead of schedule’ in Achilles injury return. Will he play Week 1?
