Now is definitely not the time for the surging San Francisco 49ers to suffer the kind of devastating injury they were enduring with regularity earlier on the year.
Fortunately, when All-Pro tight end George Kittle spoke to reporters after the Niners' dominating Monday Night Football victory over the Indianapolis Colts, he didn't make it sound as if his recently revealed injury was much to worry about.
Fans noticed the ESPN broadcast how Kittle was absent in the waning minutes of the game, and even color commentator Troy Aikman simply inferred the tight end was "probably done for the night."
However, in his postgame presser, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Kittle indeed suffered an ankle injury in the game and didn't return. While the coach was optimistic, he said the squad would have to wait until further testing was done to determine the extent of the tight end's injury.
Should fans be worried? Based on Kittle's own press conference, probably not.
George Kittle doesn't sound too worried about ankle injury
When Kittle appeared to exit the game late in the fourth quarter, already after having recorded a team-high 115 yards through the air, it might have been fair to assume the injury occurred late.
Yet the tight end acknowledged it was a second-quarter injury.
"We had a drive. I feel like I got hip-dropped," Kittle said. "Ankle got stuck in the grass or the turf, the cork turf.. really weird field. Anyhow, tried to tape it up, went in the third quarter. Then, it just got worse from there."
George Kittle says he hurt his ankle in the second quarter and says he got hip-dropped. He tried taping it up and it got worse from there. pic.twitter.com/lu7zVPtFF7
— Matt Lively (@mattblively) December 23, 2025
He also noted how it doesn't feel like a high-ankle sprain.
"If I can't run very fast or plant, then I think it's better for my other tight ends to go in there and make plays," Kittle added.
His backup, Jake Tonges, nearly did. In what should have been ruled a touchdown catch, Tonges was denied a score on an endzone play Shanahan ultimately didn't challenge, yet running back Christitan McCaffrey found the end zone on the very next snap, negating Tonges' opportunity.
Kittle was certainly pleased either way.