Is George Kittle playing today? Full injury update for 49ers tight end vs. Rams

George Kittle has stayed mostly healthy since 2020, but his status for Week 3's game against the Rams is very much in question.

Update: The Niners downgraded George Kittle from doubtful to out for Sunday's contest against the Los Angeles Rams, meaning backup tight ends Eric Saubert and Jake Tonges will shoulder the load, and Brayden Willis gets a promotion from the practice squad.

For those thinking San Francisco 49ers All-Pro tight end George Kittle is an injury-prone player, check out this NSFW nugget from The Athletic's Matt Barrows.

Omitting the cuss words, Barrows pointed out Kittle has missed just six of the last 62 starts over the previous four seasons, which doesn't exactly define injury-prone.

However, in advance of the Niners' Week 3 road contest against the Los Angeles Rams, whatever reputation Kittle has about being prone to injuries might get a little more fuel.

Kittle missed practice on both Thursday and Friday, reports citing a hamstring issue that may or may not have resulted from San Francisco's Week 2 loss at the Minnesota Vikings. With wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf) poised to miss at least two weeks because of his injury, a would-be Kittle absence isn't exactly ideal news for head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.

Following Friday's practice, there was even more clarity on Kittle's availability.

And it's not great.

George Kittle likely to miss 49ers' Week 3 game vs. Rams

Kittle joined a growing 49ers injury report, which not only included Samuel but also tabbed cornerback Charvarius Ward (hamstring/knee) and defensive end Nick Bosa (rib).

Ward and Bosa are both listed as questionable, whereas Kittle has the next-worse designation: doubtful.

This means Kittle has only a 25-percent chance of playing, and the trend of players being listed as doubtful before not actually playing is awfully high.

The Niners don't have to make an official decision regarding Kittle's status until announcing inactives, 90 minutes prior to the game's kickoff.

However, based on the latest news and updates, the likelihood of the All-Pro tight end suiting up against the Rams on Sunday, Sept. 22 seems awfully slim.

Read more from Niner Noise