George Kittle: 3 reasons 49ers TE is off to a slow start in 2021

No. 3: George Kittle is dealing with injuries again

Yes, George Kittle is one of the most popular players on the Niners roster. There’s no getting around that, and there’s also no need.

But one of the negatives about his otherwise noteworthy career is the fact he’s injury-prone. While it’s never wise to “blame” a player for injuries, the simple reality is some players end up suffering more injury setbacks than others.

Kittle falls into this category, as evidenced by the fact he missed two games in 2019 and then eight more last season with varying setbacks.

Now, Kittle is dealing with a calf injury suffered back in Week 2 that has hindered him the last two weeks. While Kittle has been able to take the field for every game since, it’s reasonable to assume he’s not at 100 percent. And it’s also a reasonable conclusion to suggest his lower stats are a partial result of his most recent injury.

Kittle is tough, though. He’ll play through injuries. Even by doing this, Kittle can make an impact even if it doesn’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet.

This leads us to our next reason behind Kittle’s slow start.