{"id":7002,"date":"2026-08-16T21:06:47","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T21:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7002"},"modified":"2026-08-16T21:06:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T21:06:47","slug":"49ers-george-kittle-expects-early-season-comeback-aims-for-week-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7002","title":{"rendered":"49ers&#8217; George Kittle expects early-season comeback, aims for Week 1"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p>SANTA CLARA \u2013 George Kittle is \u201cvery confident\u201d he will be cleared to play in the 49ers\u2019 initial games this season.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7000\">SF Giants to host 2028 MLB All-Star Game, with LA Olympics a key factor<\/a><\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s not so certain is whether he\u2019ll launch his Achilles comeback as the season opens in Australia, where the 49ers play in just 3 \u00bd weeks against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHopefully I\u2019m in pads sooner or later, because I don\u2019t want my first time in pads being in Australia,\u201d Kittle said Tuesday. \u201cI don\u2019t think that would be a smart idea.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese next couple weeks will be everything and let me know if I\u2019m ready to play Week 1 or not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Three weeks into his 10th training camp, Kittle remains on the Physically Unable To Perform list, and should the 49ers keep him there to start the season, he\u2019d miss at least the first four games. That is not his goal or intention.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen (Dr. Neal) ElAttrache told me I had a chance to play Week 1 as long as did everything I was supposed to do, it was pretty easy to light a fire every single day,\u201d Kittle said. \u201cIt is the most boring rehab in the entire world. It\u2019s about how many seated calf raises and standing calf raises can you do in a day, basically for 18 weeks.<\/p>\n<p>If he can\u2019t get cleared to play in Week 1, then he doesn\u2019t expect to make the 16-hour flight and week-long stay in Australia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have a chance,\u201d Kittle added. \u201cWe\u2019re running around a lot. Hitting top speeds.\u201d<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Kittle said those speeds are almost where they were before his right Achilles ruptured high on his calf Jan. 11, in a wild-card playoff win at Philadelphia.<\/p>\n<p>At 245 pounds, he is close to his ideal playing weight, and he has no fears of reigniting his chemistry with Brock Purdy, noting: \u201cHe\u2019s good at throwing me the ball. We\u2019ll pick that up pretty quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kittle\u2019s tedious rehab began within 10 minutes of getting his cast off, when he was pickin up marbles with his feet and doing calf raises, just as former teammate Richard Sherman advised from his own Achilles comeback in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was very aggressive and looking back on it it\u2019s pretty crazy, because I went from not putting any pressure on it to running routes,\u201d Kittle said. \u201c\u2026 The whole goal is just to get the pads back on, get a helmet on, and just go run around in circles until I feel I\u2019m in good shape.\u201d<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>DEFENSIVE LINE PAINS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Defensive tackle C.J. West and defensive end Titus Leo sustained unspecified injuries on back-to-back plays in the 49ers\u2019 final open practice of camp, ahead of Tuesday\u2019s joint session at the Los Angeles Chargers.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6998\">Latest line: A good week for Xavier Becerra, a bad week for Spencer Pratt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>An ankle injury kept rookie defensive tackle Grayson Halton out of practice. He participated Saturday, two days after a strong debut in the preseason opener.<\/p>\n<p>Osa Odighizuwa and Alfred Collins are the projected starters on the interior, and although West and Halton seem like roster locks, their injuries meant more reps Saturday for Bryson Eason and James Thompson II, a pair of undrafted rookies who\u2019ve impressed. Sebastian Valdez also is bidding to make the team after last season\u2019s practice-squad stint.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ANOTHER O-LINE CONCUSSION<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Right guard Dominick Puni missed his first practice with a concussion and was replaced by Rob Jones. Puni is the third offensive lineman to sustain one this camp, joining Carver Willis and Brett Toth, the latter of whom has been out two weeks. All linemen are wearing Guardian caps that are to help minimize impact.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WIDE RECEIVER SCARES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Deebo Samuel, Mike Evans and Jacob Cowing each got dinged up, but none of the wide receivers\u2019 injuries appeared serious. Samuel agonized the most after getting hit on a screen at the 5-yard line, apparently as his funny bone shot pain through his left arm.<\/p>\n<p>Evans, who caught a deep pass earlier in practice from Purdy, appeared to hurt a hand when hit by a defensive back near the sideline on a red zone reception. Evans returned two snaps later.<\/p>\n<p>Cowing\u2019s left ankle appeared to get tangled up with a defensive back on a Purdy incompletion. Cowing came back not long afterward to catch a Mac Jones pass that nearly got intercepted, then Cowing hauled in a 40-yard pass from Purdy past Deommodore Lenoir.<\/p>\n<p><strong>DEEP CATCHES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Cowing wasn\u2019t the only one snagging deep throws. Four snaps later, Samuel caught a 40-yard bomb from Jones against Jack Jones\u2019 coverage.<\/p>\n<p>Evans caught a 28-yard Purdy pass on a crossing route against Lenoir, and Malik Turner celebrated his deep-ball reception against Upton Stout on a blitz-beating pass from Purdy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>STILL SIDELINED<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Defensive end Nick Bosa was seen running \u2014 with speed \u2014 on a side field. He\u2019s been out since Aug. 3 because of tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee.<\/p>\n<p>Quarterback Kurtis Rourke\u2019s rib injury, which ended his successful debut Thursday night, is not expected to be a long-term issue, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiiak said.<\/p>\n<p>Running backs Christian McCaffrey (unspecified tightness), Jordan James (rib) and Kaelon Black (adductor) also remain out, although Black is running at a fast clip again on the side.<\/p>\n<p>Wide receiver Christian Kirk (calf), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (finger), offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (ankle), defensive lineman Keion White (adductor) and safety Malik Mustapha (hamstring) also are still out.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=6996\">Box Office: \u2018Spider-Man\u2019 stays on top while two dino movies battle for third<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tight end George Kittle expects to be cleared for the 49ers&#8217; early-season games, perhaps even the opener in Australia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>49ers&#8217; 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