San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is expected to play his season debut by returning to the lineup against the Denver Broncos this Sunday after recovering from a groin injury.
Kittle got injured during team practice on September 5. It was confirmed by the 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday that the 28-year-old player would return after missing two regular season games. Therefore, according to ESPN, he has been listed out from the injured list.
George Kittle is not on the injury report.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) September 23, 2022
He participated in team practice for a limited time on Wednesday and Thursday and had no issues concerning his injury.
“He’s good to go. I thought he got better each day,” Shanahan said.
“He means a ton in both (the run game and the pass game). Kittle’s been one of our better players here over the years. When he’s out there, he’s a huge deal for us. We’ve got to get him back into football shape and stuff because he hasn’t played in a little bit. But he helps us in every facet we do.”
George Kittle is fully off the injury report and "good to go" for 49ers-Broncos, per Shanahan
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 23, 2022
Kittle, who started 14 games last season, recorded 71 passing completions for 910 yards and six touchdowns tallied. Since 2018, he has not played a full season due to several injuries, according to ESPN.
On his expected return against the Broncos, Kittle expressed his excitement to play with his teammates. He also said that he was thankful to the 49ers’ staff for caring for him during his injury.
“Just had a breath of fresh air, honestly. It feels great to be back on the football field with the boys. I love our performance staff. They do a fantastic job of getting us back together but I’d be OK with not really seeing them for the rest of the season. So, just really happy to be back out there catching the football, actually getting to put pads on, hit people,” Kittle said.
#49ers game status vs. #Broncos
George Kittle WILL PLAY and is NOT on the injury reportQuestionable
DL Arik Armstead
OL Colton McKivitzOUT
OL Daniel Brunskill
RB Ty Davis-Price
TE Tyler Kroft— Jennifer Lee Chan – threads @jenniferleechan (@jenniferleechan) September 23, 2022
In addition to Kittle’s return, the 49ers’ running back Tyrion Davis-Price (ankle), offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill (hamstring), and tight end Tyler Kroft (knee) have all been confirmed to miss the game against the Broncos.
Two 49ers linemen, Arik Armstead (foot) and Colton McKivitz (ankle), are listed as questionable for the upcoming game.
Kittle’s return
The last time Kittle played against the Broncos, Kittle had played his most productive NFL career, according to ESPN. It occurred on December 9, 2018, when the 49ers defeated the Broncos.
According to ESPN, Kittle had his most productive NFL career the last time he faced the Broncos on December 9, 2018, when the 49ers defeated the Broncos.
In the first half of the game, Kittle, who played as starting tight end, recorded seven catches for 210 yards and tallied one touchdown, in the first half of the game.
With Kittle’s return, QB Jimmy Garoppolo is also expected to have his full offensive threat of pass catchers.
Kittle mentioned that his return against the Broncos would be “fun.”
“But that’s what Sunday Night Football is for,” Kittle said. “Just get to go out there and let it all out there. It will be fun.”