Could George Kittle Open Season on PUP List?
49ers TE George Kittle could open the season on the PUP list as he works back from an Achilles injury, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.
George Kittle Has Torn Achilles
49ers TE George Kittle tore his right Achilles in Sunday's Wild Card win over the Eagles, HC Kyle Shanahan confirmed afterward. That ends Kittle's season and threatens his availability for the start of the 2026 campaign, which kicks off in about eight months. Kittle won't be helped by the fact that he's 32 with a lengthy injury history. It's possible that we never see a dominant version of Kittle again. We'll keep you updated on his rehab progress this offseason. Jake Tonges will step in as San Francisco's lead TE for the rest of this playoff run -- and potentially early next season. He's averaged 6.7 targets, 4.8 catches, 45 yards, and 0.5 TDs across six games without Kittle this season.
Brock Purdy & Top Two WRs Out For Week 5
49ers QB Brock Purdy (toe) and WRs Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs) have all been ruled out for Thursday night's game against the Rams. It doesn't sound like any of their injuries are serious, but the short week did them no favors. We'll see if they can make it back for Week 6. QB Mac Jones makes another start vs. the Rams this week. He played well in Week 2 and 3 starts, completing 66% of his passes at 7.0 yards per attempt with 4 TDs vs. 1 INT. He'll be working with a rag tag group of pass catchers on Thursday night, though. The WR corps figures to be led by Kendrick Bourne, Demarcus Robinson, and Skyy Moore, while Jake Tonges again leads the TE room. We'd try not to mess with any of these guys in Week 5 fantasy lineups. RB Christian McCaffrey will be very busy yet again.
George Kittle Expected to Miss Multiple Weeks
Several reports have 49ers TE George Kittle missing multiple weeks with the hamstring injury he suffered in Sunday's win over the Seahawks. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports it'll likely be 3-5 weeks. His absence means more playing time for TEs Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges, but neither makes for an attractive addition in fantasy leagues right now. We'll see whether Kittle lands on IR, which would tell us more about his return timeline.
