The San Francisco 49ers have been a victim of the injury bug but things are looking better, especially as it pertains to news about their All-Pro tight end George Kittle.
Kittle, who suffered a torn Achilles during an NFC wild card-round win against the Philadelphia Eagles
in January, has been ramping his recovery all summer long and remained optimistic that he'd be ready by the time the season began. He met his goal.The 32-year-old did not appear on the team's injured reserve list and was on the activate roster, listed on the team's depth chart as the starting tight end, making a miraculous comeback.
According toESPN NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Ian Rappaport, Kittle is expected to play in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams at Melbourne Cricket
Ground in Melbourne, Australia.
Kittle is the Niners' all-time leader in receiving yards by a tight end with 8,008. He entered the league as a fifth round, 146th overall pick to the 49ers in the 2017 NFL Draft.
He's established himself among the best in the league at his position, having been a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time All-Pro selection. Kittle has the second-most receiving yards (8,008) and receptions (595) by a tight end since 2017, behind the Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce, who joined the league in 2013.
There was always optimism that Kittle would be at the start of Week 1, now he adds another weapon for quarterback Brock Purdy as they take on the Rams in Australia.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is George Kittle playing in Week 1? Latest on San Francisco 49ers TE
