The San Francisco 49ers have an exceptionally difficult challenge on their hands to close out the regular season when they host the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks on Saturday at Levi's Stadium.
Not only do the Hawks boast the league's No. 2-ranked scoring defense, but the weather in Santa Clara is going to be rainy, adding an X-factor that doesn't necessarily bode well for quarterback Brock Purdy and the rest of the offense.
If Seattle's defense has a weakness, though, it's against opposing tight ends, meaning a return by All-Pro tight end George Kittle from an ankle injury suffered two weeks ago is vital for Purdy and Co. to continue engineering what's been a red-hot offense over the last three weeks.
The Hawks have given up a total of 1,051 yards to tight ends this season, fifth most in the league through 17 weeks, meaning Kittle could have a monster game.
Provided he plays, of course.
Will George Kittle play when 49ers host Seahawks on Saturday?
Jake Tonges, Kittle's pass-catching backup, stepped up nicely in the Niners' Week 17 win over the Chicago Bears.
But Kittle, whose pass-catching and run-blocking abilities add another dimension to head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, clearly makes San Francisco more potent on that side of the ball. After being a late scratch because of the ankle a week ago, signs are pointing in the right direction for the All-Pro suiting up for a pivotal showdown that'll determine the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture.
Kittle practiced this week, albeit in limited fashion. Yet even national insiders, including ESPN's Adam Schefter, fully expect the tight end to be ready for Saturday night's showdown:
"George Kittle, Trent Williams, and Ricky Pearsall are all listed as questionable for Saturday..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 2, 2026
George Kittle has already said that he's gonna play..
I don't think they're gonna make decisions on Ricky Pearsall and Trent Williams until pregame"@AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/6fIxy0L4ci
It's worth pointing out Kittle suffered a serious hamstring injury against those same Hawks way back in Week 1, albeit after scoring the 49ers' first touchdown of the season, yet the injury landed him on injured reserve.
Now healthy from that setback, it seems as if Kittle won't let anything get in the way of him suiting up against a key NFC West rival in a showdown that'll have serious implications on the postseason.