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San Francisco 49ers tight end came into this season fighting an uphill battle. He is set to turn 33 years old on October 9 and is battling back from a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in the NFL Playoffs in January. However, things are looking up for him as many around the team now seem to believe that he could realistically be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
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There’s a high level of confidence “at this point” George Kittle (Achilles) will play Week 1, per @mzenitz. pic.twitter.com/lvDf4lc50B
– Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) August 10, 2026
He is moving around well at practice, and he has always said that his goal was to be ready for Week 1. However, now the whispers have turned into rumblings, and more reports are coming out that Week 1 could be a realistic target date.
We have gotten nothing but good news on this injury, starting from the injury itself, with the rupture taking place in an area of the Achilles that tends to heal quicker. Since then, Kittle has seemingly displayed superhuman healing capabilities. If he is ready for Week 1, it would be a truly incredible feat.
Fantasy Impact
TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
Currently, we have Kittle ranked just outside of the TE1s. However, if he is confirmed to be ready for Week 1, it would be hard to rank him outside of the top-10 tight ends. Even with his age and injury becoming a concern, he’s been an elite fantasy producer and is a future Hall of Famer.
With all the injuries that have hit the 49ers’ offense, he could also be in for a major role as soon as he gets on the field. They are not going to have the luxury of easing him into their game plan.
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Granted, he could get off to a bit of a slow start as he continues to work his way back to 100%, but once he’s cleared, we fully expect him to be out there and seeing plenty of targets. If Kittle is out on the field, he should be considered a TE1 and potentially a high-end TE1 as we get deeper into the season.
TE Jake Tonges, San Francisco 49ers
If Kittle is not able to make it on the field for Week 1 and lands on the PUP list, which will force him to miss at least four games, Tonges is the next man up. He proved last season that he does hold fantasy value when Kittle is sidelined. Much like we said with Kittle, because of all the injuries in San Francisco, he would likely have a significant role in the offense if he is the starter for the first month of the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as George Kittle Injury Update: A Week 1 Return Would Be Bad News For Another Fantasy Football Sleeper.
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This story was originally published August 11, 2026 at 10:19 AM.