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(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
One of the last major injuries the San Francisco 49ers suffered in what was an injury-riddled 2025 NFL season was losing George Kittle to a torn Achilles tendon injury in the wild-card round win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kittle had 57 catches for 628 yards and scored seven touchdowns in 11 games in 2025, per StatMuse. Moreover, he dealt with injuries during the regular season. As a result, this latest injury was a major setback for the veteran tight end.
During a Feb. 6 appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show,” Kittle shared the latest as he looks to be ready for Week 1 for the Niners.
“I’m literally only in [the mobility scooter] when I’m outside of my house,” Kittle said. “When I’m at my house, the nice thing is, too, my trainers are coming to me right now, which is really convenient. But I do a whole bunch of ISO holds, ankle stuff. Basically, I have a three‑inch heel lift in my boot right now, so I can stand up on this right now and just hang out.
“But walking, we’re not doing that yet. I’ll be in a shoe next week, and I’ll be back and forth between a shoe and a boot. Then I’m on crutches for another two to three [or] four weeks, and then I’m rolling again.”
Niners Need to Find Solution to Injury Woes
Injuries were the major storyline for the 49ers last season and even led to a conspiracy theory being floated as a reason for them. Still, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones is urging San Francisco to find the root of the problem and address it, as injuries have held this team back.
“The Niners have to figure out how to get healthier,” Jones said during a Jan. 17 appearance on CBS Sports HQ. “This continues to happen to them time and again because if you look at it, if they can stay moderately healthy, average health, they will make the playoffs every year. They will make noise in the playoffs. I can go on, and we could talk about how they need another wide receiver, and they do.
“They need some depth on the defense and certainly they could use some pass rush and some corner help. There’s no doubt that if they ran it back with the team that they have and even lose the free agents that they’re going to have, if they could stay healthy, 75 to 80 percent healthy, they’re in the NFC Championship game. I absolutely mean that. But instead, they can’t.”
49ers Urged to Pursue Packers Standout to Bolster WR Group
Nonetheless, with Kittle’s status to start the season uncertain and Jauan Jennings potentially leaving as a free agent this offseason, the 49ers need to bolster their pass-catchers. The San Francisco Standard’s David Lombardi shared his take on a potential target that the Niners can pursue to begin reshaping their wideout position.
“I think, at receiver, if you’re the 49ers, that’s where you’re looking at multiple pickups, both through the draft and possibly through at least mid‑tier free agency,“ Lombardi said in a Feb. 1 video published on his YouTube channel. “You face a lot of potential pitfalls at wide receiver with the separation issues that the 49ers have struggled with over the past two years.
“Romeo Doubs is a target I really like, formerly of the Green Bay Packers. His market rate might only be [$12 million] to [$15 million], especially if you can’t bring back Jauan Jennings because he costs closer to [$20 million]. Doubs could be a really, really nice pickup for the 49ers.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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