Yahoo Sports George Kittle injury update: Will he return in Week 12 game vs Packers
In a season full of lengthy injuries to their star offensive players, the last thing the San Francisco 49ers needed was another.
That's why it was so concerning when tight end George Kittle missed the team's Week 11 battle with the Seattle Seahawks.
The five-time Pro Bowler had dealt with what head coach Kyle Shanahan described as a "hamstring irritation" since Week 10's clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kittle was eventually ruled out of the Week 11 game against the Seahawks after Shanahan had initially shared that he wasn't concerned about the tight end's injury.
It had the concerning feel of another injury to add to San Francisco's growing list of them this year. Running back Christian McCaffrey didn't make his season debut until Week 10 as he dealt with an Achilles issue and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is out for the year after tearing his ACL in Week 7.
Receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings have also missed time with various injuries this year.
Fortunately for the 49ers, the latest Kittle injury update was a positive one. Here's the latest Kittle injury update:
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George Kittle injury update
On Wednesday afternoon, Kittle told reporters he will be ready to play in Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 12. That's big news for the 49ers, who want to bounce back from their Week 11 loss and return to a winning record.
According to Kittle, the tight end will return to action in Week 12 against the Packers.
"I will be playing on Sunday," he told reporters Wednesday. "Very excited. Can't pass up playing the Packers, so I will be out there for sure."
The 49ers listed Kittle as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, and he's still officially listed as questionable for the Week 12 game. However, if the All-Pro tight end doesn't experience any setbacks during practice, it sounds like he will be suiting up on Sunday afternoon.
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When was George Kittle's injury
Kittle sustained his hamstring injury during the 49ers' game against the Buccaneers in Week 10. Shanahan initially called the injury a "hamstring irritation." The star tight end was eventually designated as questionable for Week 11 before he was ruled out of the matchup with the Seahawks.
It was a significant loss for the 49ers. Kittle is second on the team with 560 receiving yards and leads all San Francisco offensive play-makers with 43 receptions and seven touchdowns.
49ers TE depth chart
Now that Kittle has said he's good to go for Sunday, here's how the 49ers' depth chart looks at tight end:
George Kittle
Of the three other tight ends on the roster, only Willis was drafted by the 49ers. The 2023 seventh-round pick began this season on the practice squad, but the team promoted him to the active roster in early October.
Saubert has been a journeyman backup tight end since he was drafted out of Drake in 2017. He signed with the 49ers this past offseason and is the only tight end besides Kittle to have caught a pass this season.
Tonges was an undrafted free agent pickup by the Bears in 2022 and joined San Francisco's practice squad last year. He signed a reserve/future contract with the team in February.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: George Kittle injury update: Will 49ers TE play this week?
