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The San Francisco 49ers getting George Kittle back in the lineup is a win in itself. However, the ten-year veteran looked rusty and a bit slow in his first game back from an Achilles injury. It makes sense; Kittle is 33 years old and is fresh off a devastating injury.
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Still, there is some concern with Kittle, and it is more than just two catches on five targets. What might be more concerning than that is his blocking ability.
San Francisco Tight End George Kittle Struggles in Return
Kittle posted a 49.8 run-blocking grade, according to PFF. That was one of the worst-graded games PFF has ever given Kittle. It was his worst game since the 2023 divisional playoffs against the Dallas Cowboys.
Prior to that, he did not post a run blocking grade that low since Week 9 of the 2019 season. PFF is not the end-all when it comes to grading, but it is clear that they have always graded Kittle favorably in the run game. It is fair that he was not getting off the ball with the same level of explosion and was not quite making the same impact in the ground game.
There are two ways that this could go. First, he was rusty; he was coming off of a devastating injury, and he was in a foreign country. It is fair to think it might take a few more weeks, and a stadium he has been in before, to get him into the swing of things.
The other side is that Kittle is now 32 years old and will be 33 years old soon. He was already injured earlier in the 2025 season before his Achilles injury. So, his body was already starting to hit a wall.
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His playing style does not lend itself to aging well, and there is a chance the injuries are catching up with him. When players come back from Achilles injuries, they can tend to push other muscles too hard and suffer new injuries. This is the type of start a player would have before things start to fall trend downhill.
Of course, there is a good chance that while we will not see peak Kittle anymore, he will end up with games better than the season opener. Still, with Jake Tonges likely out for the year, even more pressure emerges for Kittle. How he bounces back in Week 2 will be noted.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/49ers/onsi as George Kittle Raises Concern After 49ers Season Opener.
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 10:00 AM.