George Kittle is aiming to make a valiant early-season return from a torn Achilles he suffered in January's Wild Card Round win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The San Francisco 49ers tight end was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and returned to individual drills last month, and now the question is whether he'll be ready for the 49ers' season opener.
It appears Kittle is heading that way. The 32-year-old reportedly traveled with the 49ers to Australia, where they'll take on the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. Kittle had two positive days of practice that led to the decision, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport, who noted defensive end Nick Bosa will also make the trip after tearing his ACL last September.
The 49ers play the Rams in Melbourne next Thursday night.
Is George Kittle worth targeting in fantasy football drafts?
Kittle is considered a fringe TE1 in fantasy football drafts this year, going around the likes of Isaiah Likely, Dalton Kincaid, Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce. While Kittle seemingly has more upside than the rest of that group, as he finished top two at his position in 2023 and 2024, the injury factor is a major concern. Kittle is less than nine months removed from his Achilles injury, which would make his return a remarkably fast one, especially for a skill position player in their 30s. If you do draft Kittle, be sure to take another tight end in case it takes him time to shake off the rust, or if he unfortunately had to miss time again.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Will George Kittle play Week 1? What we know about 49ers TE
