The San Francisco could be getting a major boost ahead of the start of the regular season. According to one NFL insider, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is set to get one of his biggest offensive threats back. Star tight end George Kittle.
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Kittle Has 'Chance' to Return to The Field in Week 1
In the latest Kittle update, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that seeing Kittle's progress from his injury recovery first-hand has been an "eye-popping" experience.
"I had the opportunity to watch George Kittle do his workout, alongside practice, pre-practice. It was eye-popping," Rapoport said (via The New York Post). "It was really good; it was really fast, it was looking like a player who's basically going full speed."
Kittle ruptured his Achilles tendon in the first half of San Francisco's NFC Wild Card Game matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles back in January. The usual recovery time for a ruptured Achilles is nine months to a year. But Kittle has been intentional and aggressive in preparing his body for the start of the NFL season. And now, seven months later, he has a real shot to play in the 49ers' Week 1 matchup. Against their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams.
"The fact that George Kittle has a realistic chance of playing Week 1, of being out on the field, is incredible; he is not wrong; he's got a shot," Rapoport said.
However, despite his impressive recovery, Shanahan and the 49ers have been pretty adamant about their stance on Kittle's looming return. While they would obviously welcome him back with open arms during the regular season, the focus is to have him completely healthy for a potential playoff matchup.
However, earlier this week, Kittle told Matt Barrows of The Athletic that he had a strong chance of returning for Week 1. But says that he is being cautious when it comes to his return to the field.
"I have a chance," the 49ers star said of a potential Week 1 return. "We're running around a lot, hitting top speeds. Hopefully we're back in pads practicing sooner rather than later. Just trying to check the boxes and not be a dumba**."
