Kittle suffered the Achilles tear in the Niners’ wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The star said he knew immediately he’d popped the Achilles.
“I knew exactly when it happened, it felt like someone put a shotgun up against my calf and pulled the trigger,” Kittle said. “The second it happened, I knew exactly what it was… Unfortunate, but football’s tough sometimes.”
The 49ers will have several injuries to track this offseason, from Kittle to Fred Warner‘s rehab from a broken right ankle, to Nick Bosa (ACL), to Brock Purdy‘s big right toe. Then there are the questions about the resolution of Brandon Aiyuk‘s future, whether or not the Niners might trade Mac Jones to a QB-needy squad, and the free-agent futures for the likes of key playmakers like Jauan Jennings.
Given the year of injuries the Niners experienced yet again, the prospect of getting Kittle back during the early portion of the 2026 season would be a godsend for Kyle Shanahan, as San Francisco looks to return to the postseason for the sixth time in eight seasons.