Eight months after tearing his Achilles in the 49ers Wild Card playoff win, George Kittle said he’s nearing a return to practice, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Kittle also said he’s “very confident” he’ll be activated from the physically unable to perform list before the regular-season opener. Asked about playing in Week 1, he said, “I have a chance.”
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: Bounce-Back Odds Shrink
Kittle has finished as a top-three fantasy points per game scorer at the position in three of the past four seasons. Even being 32-year-old for a majority of the season last year, he still produced 17.3 PPG, which only trailed Trey McBride among tight ends.
But despite the high-scoring season, there were underlying metrics in his profile that pointed toward a downward trend.
His 18.6% target share was his lowest since his rookie season, and he fell below 2.00 yards per team pass attempt for just the second time in the past eight seasons.
When you then add in that he’s returning from an achilles injury for his 33-year-old season, the likelihood of a bounce back gets far slimmer.
