George Kittle latest comments are good news for 49ers, Brock Purdy in Week 4

Last week, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was put to the test to defend himself from being labeled a "system quarterback" that can't perform without the elite talent around him. Purdy was set to be missing Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle. He would turn to Jordan Mason, Jauan Jennings and Eric Saubert to replace the production.

And Purdy would pass this test with flying colors, throwing for 292 yards and three touchdowns, ultimately losing the game 27-24 to the Los Angeles Rams.

Fortunately, the 49ers should be getting some reinforcements back here soon. Both Deebo Samuel and George Kittle have returned to practice in some capacity, but it's Kittle whose situation looks much more promising.

George Kittle is "feeling fantastic," expects to play Week 4 versus Patriots

Kittle missed last week after suffering a hamstring injury. He's since returned to practice and has said that he's "feeling fantastic" and expects to be ready to suit up and play in Week 4 against the New England Patriots.

"George is a captain and one of the most important players on the team in terms of production, and just a morale boost from his positivity," defensive end Nick Bosa said on Wednesday. "And, yeah, just having a guy who's been around for a while, has been through the ups and downs of the [Kyle] Shanahan regime. So, yeah, we're excited [to have him back]."

It was Eric Saubert who received the TE1 snaps with Kittle gone. Saubert was alright in his absence, but obviously, he isn't Kittle.

Kittle was great in his first two games of the season, going for 116 yards on 11 catches and a touchdown. He's also a huge piece of the run game, being one of the better blocking tight ends in the entire league.

Though the 49ers expect to have Kittle back this week, they're still expected to be without star wideout Deebo Samuel. McCaffrey is still expected to be sidelined for the next few weeks at the minimum.

San Francisco is certainly going to be pushed to the limit this year with these injuries. Brandon Aiyuk is still working on finding his footing after a contractual holdout stopped him from getting any preseason action in.

This team is still one of the best in the league, but they're being held back from reaching their true level of dominance in 2024. They should be able to hold their own with any matchup in the league. Expect them to take care of business with the Patriots this week.