49ers inactives vs. Seahawks: George Kittle can’t shake injury label

For the second week in a row, the 49ers will be without George Kittle, who’ll miss Week 2’s home opener against the visiting Seahawks.

As popular as All-Pro tight end George Kittle is, San Francisco 49ers fans need to accept the reality he’s also an injury-prone player.

Kittle won’t partake in the Niners’ 2022 home opener at Levi’s Stadium against the visiting 1-0 Seattle Seahawks on Sunday as he’s still recovering from a groin injury suffered just before the start of the regular season.

That injury forced Kittle to miss San Francisco’s Week 1 loss on the road against the Chicago Bears, too.

While the 49ers were hoping to have the tight end back for this NFC West contest, perhaps it’s smart to rest him another week to avoid any aggravated injury and potentially an elongated absence, which won’t bode well for quarterback Trey Lance in his first year as a full-time starter.

Even if relegating Kittle to the inactive list for another week further fuels his reputation as an injury-prone player.

49ers Week 2 inactives vs. Seahawks

The Niners opted not to promote anyone up from the practice squad ahead of Week 2, meaning third-round rookies, wide receiver Danny Gray and running back Tyrion Davis-Price, will make their NFL debuts versus the Hawks.

Instead, San Francisco delegated the following players as inactive for the game:

• TE George Kittle
• OL Daniel Brunskill
• QB Brock Purdy
• OL Nick Zakelj
• DL Kemoko Turay

Brunskill (hamstring) also missed Week 1 but effectively lost the starting right guard spot to fellow rookie Spencer Burford during training camp and in the preseason.

However, the 49ers are surely better with Brunskill in tow as an all-capable backup to support the entirety of the offensive line.

The Niners and Seahawks kick off at 4:05 p.m. ET from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.