Tag: George Kittle

Not much good news in 49ers Week 18 injury updates

The 49ers injury issues persist.

The San Francisco 49ers are in a tough spot entering their 2024 season finale.

Not only is the club dealing with a spate of injury issues, they also don’t have anything to play for and they’re in the midst of a short week after playing Monday night in Week 17.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday indicated the quicker turnaround after a Monday game would alter how the team operated with some of their injured players. That manifested itself with 11 players out of Wednesday’s session. It stands to reason things might’ve gotten better Thursday, but the club still had 11 players out with only one player upgrading their status from Wednesday.

Tight end George Kittle was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice after not participating in Wednesday’s session. Safety Ji’Ayir Brown was limited Wednesday by an ankle injury and then didn’t practice Thursday.

Perhaps Friday will bear some good news and the 49ers will be closer to full strength for Sunday’s season finale. It’s hard to bank on that given how bad their injury luck has been this year.

Did not participate

DE Robert Beal (ankle)
DE Nick Bosa (knee)
S Ji’Ayir Brown (ankle)
OL Spencer Burford (calf)
LB Demetrius Flanngan-Fowles (calf)
DE Leonard Floyd (shoulder)
CB Deommodore Lenoir (shoulder)
OT Colton McKivitz (knee)
QB Brock Purdy (elbow)
WR Deebo Samuel (ribs, wrist)

Limited participation

TE George Kittle (ankle, hamstring)
WR Ricky Pearsall (illness, chest)
CB Isaac Yiadom (pelvis)

Full participation

RB Isaac Guerendo (foot, hamstring)
S Talanoa Hufanga (wrist)

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49ers usual suspects named to 2025 Pro Bowl roster

4 49ers are headed to the Pro Bowl.

The San Francisco 49ers had a down year, but that won’t stop them from being well-represented at the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on Feb. 2 in Orlando.

Four 49ers were selected to participate in the games, with four others landing as alternates. The players going to the games are all regular participants when the 49ers aren’t in the Super Bowl.

Defensive end Nick Bosa is going for the fifth time in his career and for the fourth year in a row. Bosa this season battled through an injury and still posted 9.0 sacks in 13 games. He also ranked fifth in total pressures according to Pro Football Focus.

Tight end George Kittle got his sixth Pro Bowl nod and his fourth consecutive. Kittle had his fourth 1,000-yard season, putting him in a rare group with Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski, Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten. That group of five players are the only TEs in NFL history with four-plus 1,000-yard seasons.

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk is a Pro Bowler for the ninth-straight time, and linebacker Fred Warner got his third consecutive, fourth overall, nod.

Juszczyk remains the most versatile, dominant fullback in the NFL even as more teams start to deploy fullbacks. Warner played through a broken bone in his ankle for most of the year and still maintained his status as one of the best off-ball linebackers in the sport. It wasn’t his best year, but he’s good enough that he’ll earn the benefit of the doubt in a rough season.

The alternates for San Francisco include defensive end Leonard Floyd, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, quarterback Brock Purdy and left tackle Trent Williams.

It’s unlikely we’ll see Williams play even if he does get selected since he’s battling an ankle injury that landed him on IR. Purdy is also dealing with an elbow injury he suffered in Week 17 that will likely keep him out for the season finale in Arizona.

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11 players out of 49ers 1st Week 18 practice

11 players out … woof.

The San Francisco 49ers are finishing the season the same way they started it.

In a season marred by injuries since training camp, the 49ers began their Week 18 preparations with 11 players absent from Wednesday’s practice. It’s a culmination of an issue that’s been bubbling all year and catalyzed a disappointing campaign that saw the club lose double-digit games for the fourth time in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tenure.

The 49ers’ injury woes were so bad in camp that they had to cancel joint practices with the New Orleans Saints because they didn’t have enough bodies to complete joint practices.

Now, with nothing on the line in their season finale, we could see the 49ers be extra cautious with some of their veteran players who figure to be key pieces of the roster next season.

Of the 11 players absent Wednesday, seven are starters who could be impact players in 2025. There were two limited participants who should also be impact players next year.

Here’s what Wednesday’s practice report looked like:

Did not participate

DE Robert Beal (ankle)
DE Nick Bosa (knee)
OL Spencer Burford (calf)
LB Demetrius Flanngan-Fowles (calf)
DE Leonard Floyd (shoulder)
TE George Kittle (ankle, hamstring)
CB Deommodore Lenoir (shoulder)
OT Colton McKivitz (knee)
QB Brock Purdy (elbow)
WR Deebo Samuel (ribs, wrist)
CB Isaac Yiadom (pelvis)

Limited participation

S Ji’Ayir Brown (ankle)
WR Ricky Pearsall (illness, chest)

Full participation

RB Isaac Guerendo (foot, hamstring)
S Talanoa Hufanga (wrist)

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49ers superstar hits rare statistical milestone

One of San Francisco’s stars hit a rare statistical milestone early during the 49ers’ Monday Night Football matchup vs. the Detroit Lions.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has long since been established as one of the NFL’s top players at his position.

With his second grab of the night early in the 49ers‘ Monday Night Football date versus the Detroit Lions, Kittle joined an exclusive club among NFL tight ends.

On San Francisco’s second possession of the night, Kittle reeled in a Brock Purdy pass over the middle and took it 18 yards on the reception. Combined with his 20-yard grab to begin the evening on San Francisco’s first offensive series, Kittle eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving plateau for the 2024 NFL season.

It’s the fourth time in Kittle’s career that he has surpassed 1,000 yards receiving in a season.

In the process, Kittle joined Travis Kelce (7), Tony Gonzalez (4), Rob Gronkowski (4) and Jason Witten (4) as one of only five tight ends that have recorded four 1,000-yard receiving seasons in their respective careers.

Kittle caught 88 passes for 1,377 yards in 2018, hauled in 85 grabs for 1,053 yards in 2019 and he snatched 65 receptions for 1,020 yards during the 2023 NFL season.

The eighth-year pro entered Monday night with 68 receptions, 967 receiving yards and eight touchdowns during the 2024 NFL season.

49ers TE George Kittle has huge chance to bolster Hall of Fame resume

The Pro Football Hall of Fame could come calling for San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle one day.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle isn’t a shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as his eighth NFL season comes to a close.

However, a strong finish to the 2024 campaign would help Kittle refine a career resumé that has him on track to wind up in Canton once he hangs up his pads.

Entering Week 16, Kittle needs only 45 receiving yards to eclipse New England Patriots legend and future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski for the second-most receiving yards all time for a tight end in his first eight seasons. Kittle has 7,135 receiving yards as the 49ers journey to Miami for their Week 16 bout. Gronkowski posted 7,179 in his first eight years. Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is first on the list with a whopping 7,881 receiving yards.

It’s not just the first eight years that have been impressive for Kittle, however. He’s also moving up the all-time NFL ranks among tight ends in career marks.

He’s on pace to finish 2024 with 1,077 receiving yards, giving him 7,351 for his career. That would put him at No. 12 all-time in receiving yards among tight ends with a real chance to enter the top-10 in the 2025 season.

Kittle is also No. 17 in receptions – which is where he’s on pace to finish the season. He needs just one touchdown in the final three contests to take sole possession of No. 13 all-time in receiving TDs by a tight end.

The biggest key for Kittle’s Hall of Fame candidacy will be longevity. After a dip in production from 2020 through 2022, he’s had a career revitalization with quarterback Brock Purdy under center and suddenly he looks like a player who could maintain high-end production for the foreseeable future.

If Kittle can finish 2024 strong and put together another season or two of the elite production we’ve seen over the last two seasons, he would have a strong case to cap his career with a gold jacket.

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George Kittle rips teammate who quit vs. Rams

George Kittle made his voice heard on the De’Vondre Campbell situation.

During Thursday night’s 12-6 loss against NFC West rival Los Angeles, San Francisco 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was seen exiting the Levi’s Stadium field with helmet in hand.

Campbell’s fourth quarter exit wasn’t injury related, though. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed afterwards that Campbell refused to enter the game.

The 49ers were dealing with injuries to linebackers Dre Greenlaw and Dee Winters and needed an able body in a tight game against a division foe. Campbell’s decision to suit up but not play understandably angered his 49er teammates.

San Francisco cornerback Charvarius Ward said afterward that he thinks Campbell will be cut soon.

One of the 49ers’ top stars, tight end George Kittle, shared his thoughts on Campbell’s actions.

“Not disbelief or disconnection like as a team. That is one person who just decided not to play for his teammates. I don’t think that, that doesn’t make our offense look at each other and be like, ‘Wow, man, we’re falling apart.’

“Or the defense, ‘Hey, we’re falling apart.’ It’s more of one person making a, I think Mooney said it, a selfish decision and I’m with Mooney on that. I’ve never been around anybody that’s done that and I hope I’m never around anybody that does that again,” Kittle said.

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Kittle said he didn’t find out about Campbell’s decision until after the game was final.

“I didn’t really hear anything about it until I got into the locker room, so it’s all brand new information to me. Look, if you’re on the roster and you’re going to suit up, you’re expected to play. I think anyone in this building that got asked to go in, I would say that 100 percent of everybody would die to get on that football field.

“And so, people go through, are going through random things off the field. I can’t speak on that. Whatever his decision was, it wasn’t for this organization, it wasn’t for this team and that’s on him. I’m not very happy about it. I would’ve had something to say about it. I wish I would’ve heard about it on the field, but I didn’t. Now, is that the reason we lost? Absolutely not. But, it’s hard to win football games when someone doesn’t want to play football, especially when you’re suited up,” Kittle said.

It only makes matters worse given the magnitude of the game. With the loss, San Francisco (6-8) has now dropped four of its past five and has tumbled out of the NFC West chase.

Campbell started 12 of the 49ers’ first 13 games. The 6-foot-4, 232 pound linebacker played 90% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps with 79 tackles, including three for loss, and a pair of passes defended.

De’Vondre Campbell quitting leads to 49ers teammates furiously ripping him: ‘Sucker [expletive]’

“That was some sucker [expletive] that he did.”

It’s no shock that De’Vondre Campbell’s San Francisco 49ers teammates were extremely unhappy hearing that the linebacker refused to enter Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

And their words were very harsh.

“He’s a professional, he’s been playing for a long time. If he didn’t want to play, he shouldn’t have dressed out. He could’ve told me that before the game,” Charvarius Ward said. “So I feel like that was some sucker [expletive] that he did. It definitely hurt the team … He’s probably going to get cut soon.”

George Kittle’s take?

“I don’t see how you could do something like that to your team,” he told reporters. “I’ve never been around anybody that’s ever done that and I hope I’m never around anyone that does that again.”

Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir posted this on X (formerly Twitter): “I call you brothers deeper than the surface, blood make us related loyalty make us family I’ll never quit on ma brother no matter what happen cut from a different cloth, It can be 50 vs 1 I’m standing on all 10.”

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5 49ers among top vote getters in Pro Bowl fan voting

Five 49ers found their way among the top four Pro Bowl fan vote recipients within their respective positions.

Five San Francisco 49ers found their way among the top Pro Bowl fan voting recipients in Monday’s current top 10 announcement.

In fact, these five 49ers were all inside the top four fan vote recipients within their respective positions, including a pair of San Francisco stalwarts that are the current leading vote-getters.

George Kittle is No. 1 among tight ends and Kyle Juszczyk is No. 1 among fullbacks in the current Pro Bowl fan voting.

San Francisco’s Fred Warner is No. 3 in Pro Bowl fan votes among inside linebackers, while defensive end Nick Bosa and offensive tackle Trent Williams each check in with the fourth-most fan votes at their respective positions.

Kittle has hauled in 50 receptions for 649 receiving yards and eight scores thus far this season. Kittle’s eight touchdown grabs are tops in the NFL among tight ends and his 649 receiving yards rank third in the NFL among tight ends.

Warner leads the San Francisco defense with 88 total tackles in 2024. The 6-foot-3, 230 pound linebacker has also tallied six passes defended, four forced fumbles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions and one sack.

Bosa leads the 49ers with 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks. The 6-foot-4, 266 pound defensive end has also accumulated 36 total tackles, one forced fumble, one pass defended and one interception.

Juszczyk and Williams have helped lead and anchor a San Francisco offense that ranks seventh in the NFL in total offense at 372.4 yards per game. The 49ers and seventh in rushing offense (139.6 rushing yards per game) rank ninth in passing offense (232.8 passing yards per game).

San Francisco (5-7) returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 8 with a 1:25 p.m. PT kickoff time versus the Chicago Bears.

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Brandon Allen finds George Kittle for TD to get 49ers on the board vs. Packers

Brandon Allen found George Kittle for a touchdown in the back of the end zone to get the 49ers on the board against the Packers.

After being sidelined due to injury during the San Francisco 49ers’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks last week, George Kittle found a way to spark the 49ers on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

Following a rough start at Lambeau Field, the 49ers were trailing by 17-0 in the first half. Before the first half came to a close, Brandon Allen found George Kittle in the back of the end zone to get the 49ers on the board with a much-needed touchdown.

Allen drilled Kittle with a three-yard touchdown touchdown pass to cut Green Bay’s lead to 17-7.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

According to Next Gen Stats, Kittle now leads the NFL with 15 catches in the red zone this season. Kittle has tallied a league-best eight red zone touchdowns this season.

Via @NextGenStats on Twitter:

https://x.com/NextGenStats/status/1860816981680898219

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Is George Kittle playing vs. Packers? Injury updates for 49ers TE

49ers TE George Kittle is dealing with a hamstring injury. Here are the latest updates.

There was a surprise in Week 11 when the San Francisco 49ers ruled out tight end George Kittle for their crucial matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers lost that NFC West showdown and struggled on offense. They posted their least-efficient offensive performance of the year, and it’s hard not to highlight Kittle’s absence as a significant reason for the collective face-plant on that side of the ball.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan after Week 10 seemed optimistic about Kittle’s chances of playing in Week 11 despite “hamstring irritation” that cropped up during the 49ers’ Week 10 win over the Tamp Bay Buccaneers.

Kittle was listed as questionable, and ruled out 90 minutes before kickoff when the team announced its inactives.

Things are in much better shape for Kittle going into a pivotal Week 12 showdown with the Packers:

George Kittle injury update

The 49ers were cautious with Kittle during the week, but he was not officially listed on the injury report. That means barring something out of the ordinary, he’ll be ready to suit up against the Packers.

How long was George Kittle out?

Kittle only missed the one game against Seattle. He was limited in practice to start the week, but by Friday was a full participant and not on the injury report. This season he’s missed two games. He was also out for Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers lost both contests.

49ers TE depth chart

Part of the issue with Kittle missing time is the 49ers don’t have much quality behind him on the depth chart. Eric Saubert is the No. 2 TE, but he’s primarily a blocker. Second-year TE Brayden Willis and TE Jake Tonges are also on the 53-man roster, but neither has been any kind of factor on offense this season. When Kittle is out, tight end becomes a wasteland for the 49ers.

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