San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday that tight end George Kittle has been placed on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury. The move comes after Kittle left Sunday’s 17-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks after being injured; he played only 21 of the team’s 76 offensive snaps and finished the game with four catches for 25 yards with a touchdown.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, early reports indicated that Kittle may be sidelined for multiple weeks. Kittle will miss at least the team’s next four games before he’s able to return to actionn, and would be eligible to play when the team takes on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6 if his recovery is successful.
Kittle is in his ninth season, and has made the Pro Bowl in four straight seasons and six of the last seven. He caught 78 passes for 1,106 yards with eight touchdowns. In Kittle’s absence, the 49ers have Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges on their 53-man roster at tight end, with Brayden Willis on the practice squad.
In addition to Kittle’s injury, QB Brock Purdy also sustained multiple injuries during Sunday’s game; Shanahan confirmed that he is now dealing with a toe injury and a shoulder injury. Specifics of both injuries are not yet known, but Shanahan said Purdy’s toe is worse than his shoulder. The team will clarify his status for Week 2 later this week.
Editorial credit: CryptoFX / Shutterstock.com