I
t is only one game into the NFL season and the San Francisco 49ers are already dealing with injury issues. Beating the Seattle Seahawks 17-13 and improving to 1-0, the 49ers did not leave the game unscathed, with wide receiver Jauan Jennings, tight end George Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy all hurt during the win. Jennings and Purdy do not have serious injuries, but the same cannot be said about Kittle.
Kittle caught four passes for 25 yards and a touchdown in the win but left the game in the first half with a hamstring injury and did not return. And on Sept. 9, the 49ers placed Kittle on the injured reserve list– keeping him out for at least the next four games.
Kittle Goes on the IR
The 49ers did avoid the worst with Kittle. After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke on his injury and said that Kittle would miss multiple weeks, but did not imply a season-ending issue. Still, the 49ers will be without their star player for the next few weeks– a big test of grit for a team looking to return to the playoffs after a one season absence.
“George Kittle is likely out 3-5 weeks with the hamstring injury, source says, making him a candidate for Injured Reserve,” NFL insider Ian Rapoport said.
Kittle’s injury comes at a very bad time for the 49ers. Already down star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, the 49ers were counting on Kittle to step up even more and make up for the lost production of Aiyuk. But now, Kittle will miss the 49ers games against the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams and is not eligible to return until at least week six. Until then, the 49ers will need to re-establish their identity and figure out how to proceed.
Who Is Playing in Kittle’s Absence?
Now that Kittle is out, the 49ers will rely on backup tight ends Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges, with Farrell most likely to be the starter given how he signed a three-year, $11 million contract with the team in the offseason. Tonges will also get a lot of reps, and after catching the game-winning touchdown in the week one win, he has earned playing time.
Aside from Tonges and Farrell, the 49ers have Brayden Willis on the practice squad who they could promote for added depth. But now the question becomes who will be the star pass catcher with Kittle out. If Jennings does not miss time, he will need to step up while second-year wideout Ricky Pearsall is a player that could breakout even more throughout the course of the season.
The 49ers will look to improve to 2-0 in week two when they hit the road to play the Saints in the Superdome. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. (PT) on FOX.
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