San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed on Monday that tight finish George Kittle will miss just a few weeks with a hamstring damage. NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport later reported that the All-Professional might be sidelined three to 5 weeks. The 49ers positioned him on injured reserve on Tuesday, that means he’ll miss at the very least 4 weeks.
Kittle sustained the damage within the first half of the crew’s 17-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks of their Week 1 opener on Sunday. He had made already made a substantial influence for the Niners previous to his exit, catching 4 receptions for 25 yards and the crew’s first landing of the 2025 marketing campaign. The veteran entered the blue medical tent within the second quarter and was seen standing on the sideline sporting a baseball cap shortly afterwards, signaling that his day had come to a untimely finish.
As a refresher, gamers who go on IR should miss a minimal of 4 video games and they won’t depend towards the 53-man roster restrict throughout that point. That implies that the earliest Kittle would be capable of return is for the crew’s Week 6 street matchup towards the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 12.
Kittle was a top-three fantasy tight finish in common draft place heading into the 2025 marketing campaign, so his absence could have a substantial influence on fantasy leagues within the early weeks of the common season. It additionally continues the 49ers’ dangerous luck of star ability place gamers happening as final season noticed each Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk lacking appreciable time with accidents of their very own. Issues might get even worse for the crew within the coming days as Shanahan additionally revealed that there’s a chance of beginning quarterback Brock Purdy lacking Sunday’s Week 2 matchup towards the New Orleans Saints as effectively.
In Kittle’s absence, Luke Farrell will step in as TE1 for the 49ers whereas Jake Tonges will function TE2. It was Tonges fourth-quarter landing reception that lifted San Francisco over Seattle and that clutch rating late within the recreation served as his first profession landing.
Each Farrell and Tonges are rostered in lower than 1% of fantasy leagues, so they need to be a available choice off the waiver wire if want be this week. Nonetheless, Kittle managers most certainly have already got extra sound and confirmed backup tight finish choices elsewhere and can be higher off going with them for Week 2. In the event that they nonetheless discover themselves in a jam, then high waiver wire choices like Saints tight finish Juwan Johnson or Patriots tight finish Hunter Henry can be a viable substitute.
