Tag: George Kittle

49ers injury report: Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, George Kittle’s status revealed for Week 8 vs. Cowboys

The 49ers injury report for Week 8 against the Cowboys is out:

With players like Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey already ruled, the San Francisco 49ers are banged up when it comes to playmakers for their Week 8 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Before meeting the Cowboys in a primetime contest on Sunday Night Football, Kyle Shanahan revealed the latest injury report for the 49ers on Friday.

Via @mattbarrows on Twitter:

For the second straight week, the 49ers will be without Jauan Jennings. Jennings will miss his second consecutive game due to a hip injury. Both Deebo Samuel (illness) and George Kittle (foot) are listed as questionable against the Cowboys.

Samuel played three snaps against the Chiefs before being ruled out due to an illness. The 49ers star wide receiver was later hospitalized due to pneumonia.

Here’s the full injury report:

Out:

  • WR – Jauan Jennings – Hip
  • DT – Kevin Givens – Groin
  • K – Jake Moody – Right Ankle

With Jauan Jennings out, 49ers rookie pass catcher Ricky Pearsall could play an expanded role against the Cowboys on Sunday. Pearsall made his highly-anticipated debut against the Chiefs last week.

Anders Carlson will serve as the 49ers kicker for the second straight game as Jake Moody nurses an ankle injury. Carlson buried a pair of field goals but did miss his lone extra-point attempt.

Questionable:

  • TE – George Kittle – Ankle
  • WR – Deebo Samuel – Illness, Wrist
  • CB – Deommodore Lenior – Illness
  • S – George Odum – Knee

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

George Kittle could be top 3 pass catcher in 49ers history with big Week 8

George Kittle could surpass a couple of 49ers legends on the all-time receiving yards list with a big game in Week 8.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has a chance to cement himself as a franchise legend with a big game in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Never mind for a moment Kittle’s gregarious personality, which combined with his productivity has already put him in the realm of all-time greats in 49ers history.

A big Week 8 showing could land Kittle at No. 3 in the 49ers’ all-time receiving yards list. He’s entering the week at No. 5, but he needs just 102 yards to leap into the top three.

Here’s what the top-five looks like entering Sunday night’s game:

1. WR Jerry Rice: 19,247
2. WR Terrell Owens: 8,572
3. WR Dwight Clark: 6,750
4. WR Gene Washington: 6,664
5. TE George Kittle: 6,649

Kittle is already more than 1,000 yards clear of Vernon Davis for the most receiving yards by a TE in franchise history.

It’ll be interesting to see if Kittle can eventually track down Owens. Kittle is on track for exactly 1,000 yards in 2024. That would put him at 7,274 yards –leaving him 1,298 yards shy of Owens. Two more years with 650 yards in each season would be enough to climb to No. 2 in 49ers history. He’d need to average 433 yards per season with the 49ers if he plays for three more years in San Francisco.

Before trying to track down Owens, however, Kittle needs to play in Week 8. He’s dealing with a foot sprain that held him out of Wednesday’s practice. He returned Thursday, which is a good sign for his chances to play against the Cowboys and continue his trek up the 49ers’ all-time receiving yards leaderboard.

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George Kittle, Deebo Samuel statuses improve ahead of Week 8

Thursday practice report had lots of good news for the 49ers.

The San Francisco 49ers’ participation report from Thursday’s practice came with some good news as two of their stars were back in action after missing Wednesday.

Tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel were both back in practice with limited sessions Thursday. Kittle is working through a foot sprain he suffered in Week 7, while Samuel has been dealing with pneumonia that hospitalized him. Samuel tried playing Sunday, but saw only three snaps before exiting the game.

With WR Jauan Jennings still out with a hip injury and WR Brandon Aiyuk gone for the season, it’s a great sign for San Francisco that Samuel and Kittle were both able to make it back onto the field Thursday.

Here’s the full participation report:

Did not participate

DT Kevin Givens (groin)
WR Jauan Jennings (hip)
K Jake Moody (ankle)

Moody is still dealing with a high ankle sprain so his absence isn’t a surprise. Missing Givens would be a big deal for the 49ers since he’s a key depth piece on their defensive line rotation. His absence would open the door for undrafted rookie Evan Anderson to see extended time.

Limited participation

TE George Kittle (foot)
S George Odum (knee)
WR Deebo Samuel (wrist, illness)
DE Nick Bosa (elbow)
WR Chris Conley (ankle)
RB Jordan Mason (shoulder)

No setbacks for Bosa, Conley and Mason is great news for the 49ers. Anyone limited Thursday has a real chance to play Sunday.

Full participation

LT Trent Williams (not injury related) 

Williams was back after his usual day off.

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2 49ers offensive stars return to practice

Before meeting the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, the 49ers welcomed back a pair of key playmakers to practice on Thursday.

Before meeting the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, the San Francisco 49ers welcomed back a pair of key playmakers to practice on Wednesday in Santa Clara. Both wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle were spotted at practice on Wednesday.

Samuel played three snaps on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs before being ruled out for the remainder of the contest due to an illness. Samuel was later hospitalized with pneumonia. Samuel was recently released from the hospital. He joined Kittle on the practice field on Wednesday. Kittle missed practice early in the week due to a foot sprain.

Via @mattbarrows on Twitter:

With Brandon Aiyuk added to the injured reserve, the 49ers will need to lean on players like Samuel and Kittle in the passing attack. Alongside Kittle and Samuel, rookies Jacob Cowing and Ricky Pearsall could see an increased role.

The 49ers will meet the Cowboys at 5:20 p.m. PT on Sunday in Santa Clara.

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

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Several stars out or limited in 49ers 1st Week 8 practice

The San Francisco 49ers injury updates going into a Week 8 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys aren’t great.

The San Francisco 49ers will enter a crucial Week 8 showdown with the Dallas Cowboys in a bad way on the injury front.

They took the field Wednesday for the first practice of the week and had nine players either out or limited by injuries. That doesn’t include players like Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk who are both on IR.

Among the non-participants Wednesday was wide receiver Deebo Samuel. He was hospitalized with pneumonia, but has since been released from the hospital and has a chance to play in Sunday’s game according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Here’s the rest of Wednesday’s participation report:

Did not participate

WR Deebo Samuel (wrist, illness)
WR Jauan Jennings (hip)
K Jake Moody (ankle)
TE George Kittle (foot)
DT Kevin Givens (groin)
S George Odum (knee)
OL Trent Williams (Not injury related) 

This is suboptimal for the 49ers. Samuel and Jennings were both ostensibly out for Week 7’s loss to the Chiefs. Samuel tried playing, but only got three snaps in before missing the rest of the game. If they’re both out Sunday and Kittle can’t go, it will leave the 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy woefully short on weapons in the passing game. All three players are capable of playing even without practicing during the week, but it would be nice to see them in action at least in a limited fashion before Friday.

Limited participation

WR Chris Conley (ankle)
RB Jordan Mason (shoulder)
DE Nick Bosa (elbow)

Conley was dinged up in Sunday’s game, so it’s a good sign for the 49ers’ receiving corps that he’s able to at least get a limited session in. Mason played through his shoulder injury last week, while Bosa started wearing an elbow sleeve or brace during the game. Shanahan hasn’t mentioned any injury issues with Bosa, so the severity is unclear.

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Mic’d-up video captured the postgame message that Travis Kelce had for George Kittle after Chiefs win

They’re ready to run it back.

The Kansas City Chiefs are the NFL’s lone undefeated team despite not necessarily looking like a dominant team. The San Francisco 49ers are still NFC West contenders all while dealing with tons of injuries to key players.

That in itself had Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce thinking about a potential rematch in New Orleans.

Following the Chiefs’ Week 7 win over the 49ers to improve to 6-0 on the season, mic’d-up footage from NFL Films showed the exchange that Kelce had with 49ers tight end (and his friend) George Kittle. Kelce told Kittle that he’d love to run into the 49ers again in February — at the Super Bowl.

“Let’s do it again in February, bro,” Kelce said.

Kittle was down for it and was also a fan of Kelce’s cleats.

We’ll have to see if the two teams really do run it back, but the Chiefs have to like their chances.

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49ers injury news underscores need for Christian McCaffrey return

The San Francisco 49ers have never needed Christian McCaffrey back more than they do now.

It isn’t news that running back and reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey is a key cog in the 49ers’ offensive system.

It also isn’t news that his return should provide a substantial boost for a San Francisco offense that’s been struggling to find the end zone without him in 2024.

New developments coming out of the team’s Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs highlight just how important McCaffrey’s return will be for the 49ers.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday in a conference call with reporters confirmed that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL and MCL in Sunday’s loss. He also said tight end George Kittle is day-to-day with a foot sprain, and WR Jauan Jennings is still dealing with a hip injury that held him out of Week 7. WR Deebo Samuel is also hospitalized with pneumonia and his timetable for a return is unknown.

Shanahan also mentioned in his conference call that the team hopes to get McCaffrey back right after their Week 9 Bye.

Even if Kittle, Jennings and Samuel are all back by that Bye week, McCaffrey’s presence will be a massive help for the offense without Aiyuk in the lineup. Aiyuk is the only receiver the 49ers have who consistently separates against man coverage, and he’s a threat in all three levels of the passing game.

Having McCaffrey back will help Shanahan better manipulate defenders and open space for some of the other playmakers who made need some scheme assistance to get open and operate in the spaces they’re used to operating in.

There was never a point in the year where the 49ers weren’t going to need McCaffrey back, but their dire injury situation makes his return even more vital if San Francisco wants to make the playoffs and make noise when they get there.

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49ers TE George Kittle recalls NFL debut vs. Julius Peppers, Cam Newton: ‘I’m gonna die’

49ers TE George Kittle was welcomed into the NFL by a couple of freaks of nature back in 2017.

At 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds and at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, Carolina Panthers legends Julius Peppers and Cam Newton were two absolute freaks of nature on the football field. So just imagine the shock of having to face them both—and in your NFL debut, no less.

Well, George Kittle didn’t have to imagine it, because he actually experienced it.

The San Francisco 49ers tight end lived to tell that tale on this week’s episode of the Cleats & Convos podcast, hosted by his teammate and All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel. When Samuel asked Kittle about his “Welcome to the NFL” moment, Kittle looked back on his regular-season debut against the Panthers from 2017 . . .

That matchup saw Carolina dominate San Francisco en route to a 23-3 victory. Newton passed for a pair of touchdowns while Peppers, in the first game of his second act with the Panthers, posted half a sack.

Kittle, who came out a-okay, reeled in five passes for 27 yards.

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Chiefs LB Nick Bolton describes George Kittle’s impact: ‘He’s a huge matchup problem’

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton describes George Kittle’s impact: ‘He’s a huge matchup problem’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton spoke to the media on Friday, revealing his thoughts on San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle.

“He’s a huge matchup problem,” said Bolton. “He’s bigger than most safeties and faster than most linebackers.”

The Chiefs last faced off against Kittle and the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, where the defense held the Pro Bowler below his typical production. Kittle only managed two catches for 4 yards and left momentarily with an injury in the Kansas City victory.

“We have to mix our matchups up on him,” said Bolton, “Put some hands on him when we can, disrupt his timing, and hopefully can frustrate him a little bit as the game progresses, but I think it’s going to be different matchups, different guys get on him a little bit, try to rough him up when we can, and then ultimately just make them make tight throws and live to play another down.”

The Chiefs’ defense has held opponents late in games to close victories, contributing to the undefeated start. Bolton has 38 tackles heading into Week 7 feeling healthier after the bye week.

How will Christian McCaffrey return impact 49ers offense?

Christian McCaffrey’s return won’t make the 49ers’ offense look like it did last year, but it should help in a couple of key areas.

The San Francisco 49ers have somehow managed to churn out a productive, efficient offense even without running back Christian McCaffrey.

Just because they’ve been able to churn out yards and points doesn’t mean life hasn’t been more difficult for the 49ers without the reigning Offensive Player of the Year. His return, which could be coming sooner rather than later, should make a couple of things much easier for the 49ers.

The first area McCaffrey should help is in the red zone. Last season the 49ers were the No. 1 red zone team in the NFL, scoring touchdowns on 67.2 percent of their red zone trips. This season without McCaffrey that number has plummeted to 44.4 percent.

His nose for the end zone as a runner alone will help, but his dual-threat skill set will open a ton of things up down near the end zone.

McCaffrey is a threat as a receiver, which defenses have to respect when he’s out in a route. He can be moved around to help manipulate defenders and open up space for tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.

Neither Samuel nor Kittle are great at creating separation, which becomes a significant problem in the confined spaces of the red zone. Having McCaffrey to occupy defenders could make life easier for the 49ers’ other pass catchers.

That’s the same way he can help elsewhere on the field where defenses have started clogging the middle of the field and taking away some of the space the 49ers offense has thrived in.

Quarterback Brock Purdy is still working the middle of the field, but the result of those throws isn’t quite the same as it was over the last few seasons. 49ers pass catchers are making receptions in the middle of the field and not creating yards after the catch.

Last season Samuel racked up 8.7 yards-after-catch per reception. Kittle was at 7.3, while McCaffrey and RB Jordan Mason were both at 7.0 YAC/reception.

This year Samuel is down to 7.6 in that category. Mason is at 5.6 and Kittle’s number has fallen all the way to 3.5.

Aiyuk’s is largely unchanged.

Getting McCaffrey back where defenders have to vacate the middle of the field to account for him as a receiver should generate more space and more YAC opportunities for 49ers receivers.

We’ll also likely see Purdy’s completion rate tick up toward the 69.4 percent mark he landed on last season. This year as his downfield throws have skyrocketed, his completion rate has started falling. Part of the push downfield is likely due to how teams are defending the 49ers, but it stands to reason Purdy will take easier throws to McCaffrey instead of scrambling and creating out of structure the way he has so often this season.

It’s unlikely the 49ers’ offense will be an exact replica of last year when McCaffrey returns, but he should make some of the difficult things like red zone TDs and short-area throws much easier when he’s finally back on the field.

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