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George Kittle took a significant step toward returning from his Achilles injury on Sunday.
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The 49ers activated the All-Pro tight end off the Physically Unable to Perform list minutes before Sunday’s practice at their Santa Clara facility. It’s Kittle’s first football action since suffering his injury Jan. 11 in a playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kittle spoke to reporters Aug. 16, saying his goal would be to return to practice “sooner than later.” And he’s able to return to football just eight months since suffering the injury because his Achilles tore higher up his leg meaning the corrective procedure didn’t require drilling into his heel.
“I have a chance,” Kittle said. “We’re running around a lot in top speeds. … I’m just trying to check the boxes and not be a (expletive).”
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Kittle presumably would have two practices before Thursday’s preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders. Then the 49ers will likely have a practice or two before heading to Australia on Sept. 2, giving themselves a week to acclimate before their game Sept. 10 in Melbourne.
The procedure on Kittle’s Achilles was done by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who told Kittle he would have a chance to return early in the season, despite the injury often taking a year for full recovery.
“When ElAttrache told me that I had a chance to play Week 1, as long as I did everything I was supposed to do, it was pretty easy to light a fire every single day,” Kittle said of his rehab.
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This is a developing story; check back with sacbee.com for updates.