The San Francisco 49ers are traveling to the land down under on Wednesday, Sept. 2, for the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia.
George Kittle will be in the traveling party, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. That is an indication the veteran tight end may, in fact, be ready to suit up for the 49ers' Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Kittle is coming off a torn Achilles he suffered during San Francisco's wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2025 NFL playoffs. He was no sure thing to be ready for the start of the season but most updates surrounding the 32-year-old in the lead-up to Week 1 were positive.
Will Kittle play for the 49ers in Week 1? Here's what to know about his status for the regular-season opener.
Will George Kittle play Week 1?
Kittle
is "trending in the right direction to play," according to Rapoport, after traveling with the team to Australia. The veteran tight end enjoyed "two positive days of practice" ahead of San Francisco's departure, per Rapoport.
Kittle was activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Aug. 23. At the time, he was viewed as being "ahead of schedule" in his return from the torn Achilles.
And in the weeks ahead of his activation, Kittle had made it clear his goal was to play in all 17 games during the 2026 NFL season, though he also noted he would not rush himself back solely to achieve that objective.
"I want to play in every football game that I possibly can play in, but I'm also aware it's an 18-week season," Kittle said during an Aug. 16 news conference. "So, hey, if you miss Week 1 and you're playing Week 2, hey, it is what it is. I'm just going to keep that as my goal, and then we'll adjust from there if we need to.
"But you know, I still believe that," Kittle said, referencing the possibility of playing in Week 1 and throughout the 2026 season. "My team still believes that. My surgeon still believes that I have a chance. So, just keep attacking it.
Who is George Kittle's backup?
In the event that Kittle isn't quite ready to suit up for the 49ers in Week 1, Jake Tonges would step into the top tight end role for the 49ers.
Tonges, a 2022 undrafted free agent out of California, enjoyed a career-best season with the 49ers in 2025. He appeared in all 17 games with two starts and logged 34 receptions for 293 yards and five touchdowns.
49ers tight end depth chart
Below is a look at the 49ers' pecking order on their four-deep tight end depth chart.
- George Kittle
- Jake Tonges
- Luke Farrell
- Brayden Willis
Farrell will likely serve as a blocking complement to Tonges if Kittle misses any time while Willis is more of a special teams option, having recorded 10 tackles across his three seasons to date with the 49ers.
The 49ers also have undrafted rookie Khalil Dinkins on their practice squad.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will George Kittle play Week 1? Latest update as 49ers TE travels to Australia
