George Kittle missed one game due to a hamstring injury. He has no intention of missing another.
The San Francisco 49ers tight end told reporters he will return to action Sunday after the Green Bay Packers, after missing last week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks with a hamstring injury. From KNBR:
“I will be playing on Sunday. Very excited, can’t pass up playing the Packers. I will be out there for sure. Going to practice today, it will be very fun and exciting.
Kittle was officially listed by the Niners as limited in practice Wednesday. He first sustained the injury in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with head coach Kyle Shanahan describing the issue as “hamstring irritation” at the time.
The injury was initially described as not very serious. Shanahan said later that week he didn’t have much concern about Kittle’s availability against the Seahawks, but the Pro Bowler was still listed as questionable and later ruled out for the game.
Missing the Seahawks game, a 20-17 loss, interrupted one of the best streaks of Kittle’s career. Between Weeks 5 and 10, Kittle averaged 79.8 yards and a full touchdown per game. He’s already posted the second-most touchdowns in a season of his career with seven.
His injury also continued the Niners’ trend of being unable to stay healthy, and they can only hope there are no more surprises in store.
San Francisco should at least be getting Kittle back for one of their biggest games of the season. The team currently sits in a three-way tie for second place in the NFC West at 5-5 and direly needs a win to keep pace in the division it was supposed to rule. Meanwhile, the 5-5 Packers will both be looking to avenge their loss in the divisional round last season and to stay competitive in an NFC North topped by the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings.
The Packers are currently a two-point favorite to win at home via BetMGM.