San Francisco 49ers fans are hoping that star tight end George Kittle will be ready in time for the team's Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia after he tore his Achilles last season in the playoffs.
Kittle responded to a post on social media, quoting ESPN reporter Nick Wagoner, who wrote that he had been told those hoping Kittle would be back for Week 1 are being a bit too optimistic and that it's more realistic for Kittle to make his season debut in Weeks 2, 3, or 4 since the Niners will be back home in Santa Clara.
The original post incorrectly stated that Kittle was out with an ACL injury rather than an Achilles.
The All-Pro tight end responded on social media writing, "I don’t remember that happening so let’s not speak it into existence plz."
I don’t remember that happening so let’s not speak it into existence plz 😅
— George Kittle (@gkittle46) May 19, 2026
Yes, let's hope the post does not portend a Kittle ACL tear this upcoming season. That would be an absolute nightmare. But with San Francisco's injury luck, would it really come as a surprise?
Kittle does seem to be determined to play in that Australia game, though. He recently publicly recounted a heroic tale in which he vanquished a spider to save his wife Claire, which may have been his subtle way of saying that he plans to be ready for that game, since Australia is infamous for its freaky arachnids.
It would certainly be a shame if Kittle wasn't able to participate in that game. He is one of the most recognizable stars in the NFL, so the game wouldn't be the same without him.
At the same time, the 49ers have to be super cautious with their star tight end. If he's not 100-percent healthy, then there is absolutely no reason to expose him to further injury.
Kittle seems very motivated, though, so if he has his mind set on playing, then one could bet on him doing everything in his power to rehab as hard as possible to ensure he is strong enough to play.
There is always the fear he could injure another part of his body like his (gulp) knee if he was to try to play injured. Hopefully head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch are able to talk him into doing whatever is best for the team, even if he would like to get out there for a likely once-in-a-lifetime chance to play a game in Australia.
Add us as a preferred source on Google