San Francisco 49ers All-Pro tight end George Kittle will be out for Sunday’s (September 22) game against the Los Angeles Rams, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday (September 20).
“[The] “The 49ers have downgraded tight end George Kittle to no longer play against the Rams on Sunday,” Schefter wrote on his X account.
The 30-year-old Kittle had been listed as questionable because of a hamstring injury but has now been downgraded. The All-Pro tight end was a surprise addition to the Niners’ injured list on Thursday (Sept. 19), along with cornerback Charvarius Ward (hamstring and knee soreness) after being a full participant in practice on Wednesday (Sept. 18).
“[Kittle] And Charvarius was in pain after practice. [Wednesday]”Like a lot of our other guys, they came out on Thursday morning and were still in pain. Kittle is still in pain today. That’s how serious it is,” head coach Kyle Shanahan told ESPN.
Kittle has 11 receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown through the first two weeks of the NFL season. The former Iowa star played the full nine minutes of the Niners’ Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings despite briefly needing an IV fluid.
San Francisco will be without three of its best offensive players in Kittle, All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles tendinitis) and former All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf), all of whom will miss Week 3. McCaffrey was listed as unavailable hours before the Week 1 win over the New York Jets and was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 14, meaning he will be out until Thursday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 10.