George Kittle to return after 6-week absence

The San Francisco 49ers will get their star tight end back for the final two weeks of the regular-season.

After representing the NFC in Super Bowl 54 last season, the San Francisco 49ers will not be a part of the 2020 playoff picture. The injuries piled up for the 49ers from the start of the season, with the team placing 28 players on injured reserve. One of those was tight end George Kittle, but he’s not going to sit out the remainder of a lost season.

During his Zoom conference call, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Kittle will play in this Saturday’s game against the rival Arizona Cardinals, but will be on “somewhat of a pitch count.”

Kittle back following knee injury

Kittle’s returning after leaving San Francisco’s Week 8 game against the Seattle Seahawks, which was later determined to be a broken bone in his foot. This was the very same game where quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered his high-ankle sprain, and has been out ever since.

This, sadly, wasn’t the only injury Kittle had to deal with this season. Ironically, his very first ailment came in their season-opener against the Cardinals, where he suffered a left knee sprain. Kittle would miss the next two games before returning in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In his six games of action, Kittle caught 37-of-49 passes for 474 and two touchdowns.

Just prior to the start of the regular-season, Kittle and the 49ers agreed to terms on a five-year, $75 million contract extension.

With the 49ers eliminated from playoff contention, they now get the opportunity to serve as a road block for a Cardinals team looking to clinch their first playoff spot since 2015. The 49ers’ chances of doing so have increased with Kittle on the field, albeit for a limited number of snaps.