One of the more heartbreaking moments the San Francisco 49ers and their fans had to endure last season was watching All-Pro tight end George Kittle get carted off the field with a torn Achilles during the Niners' Wild Card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
That painted a picture where Kittle likely missed a hefty chunk of the 2026 season, yet when optimistic reports began emerging he could potentially play early enough during the year despite the serious injury, it sure seemed about as miraculous as possible.
Now, there are reports Kittle might be ready to go as soon as Week 1 when San Francisco travels across the Pacific to square off against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
That's excellent news. But the 49ers nevertheless need to tread carefully here.
Without diving too deeply into the medical nature of Achilles tears, the chances of a related injury are already high after Kittle suffered the setback last January. And the sooner he returns, the higher the likelihood.
Instead, the Niners can take a safer approach.
49ers must place George Kittle on a snap count (if they even play him in Week 1)
There is a benefit to having Kittle potentially available for Week 1's showdown. L.A. would have to game plan for him, and the tight end's mere presence on the field creates question marks for Los Angeles' defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
But, the risk of deploying Kittle on every single snap is far too high for San Francisco.
Instead, a snap count would suffice.
It's something the 49ers don't necessarily have to reveal early in the days leading up to the game. If anything, Kittle could be part of the usual "questionable" designation, then finally getting a modest 15 to 20 snaps over the course of the contest.
Granted, not having Kittle on the field as much as possible against an NFC West rival in a crucial regular-season opener won't help the Niners as much as deploying him at full capacity.
But it'd certainly be better than running him out on the field, only to lose him at some point to yet another debilitating injury that potentially derails his entire season.
Tread carefully, San Francisco.
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