The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will kick off their seasons in Australia in Week 1, and both sides have had some significant injury situations to monitor. LA announced good news, including on Myles Garrett, but 49ers star George Kittle also made headlines.
“#49ers star TE George Kittle, who tore his Achilles on Jan 11 and has been aiming for a Week 1 return, is now off the injury report with no game designation,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on X on September 10. “He’ll play against the #Rams, completing an improbable comeback. DL Nick Bosa (knee) also has no game status.”
Rapoport: 49ers’ George Kittle ‘Back’ for Rams Regular-Season Opener
“George Kittle, who tore his Achilles on January 11th, and was attempting an improbable comeback–much earlier than he ever should be back–is also off the report and will play,” Rapoport reported in a follow-up on “Good Morning Football” on September 10. “How much will Kittle play? That remains to be seen. I would expect him to be on a pitch count to start, but a pretty dramatic return for one of the NFL’s best tight ends. George Kittle is back.
The 49ers will not have second-year defensive tackle Alfred Collins, who 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced tore his patellar tendon in practice on September 8.
The threat of Kittle and Bosa looms large for the Rams, though.
Everyone else is fully cleared to play.
Kittle is coming off an injury-shortened 2025 campaign, and he has not been the same dynamic threat as consistently as he has in the past in the 49ers’ more recent matchups with the Rams.
Still, his presence on the field is as much about an emotional boost as the one his play provides.
Star Pass Rushers Good to Go for Rams Australia Showdown vs 49ers
The 49ers’ good news on Bosa has an equal and opposite effect for the Rams, with their star EDGE also good to go and feeling “100%” for the opening matchup.
“It’s never a dull moment. You could think you’re through the worst of it, and then you have a setback or something. I‘ve been lucky, where I’ve been able to come back from a few of them and get to myself out there on the field,” Bosa told reporters on September 9.
“It’s a grind. And there’s some days where you go to bed thinking, like, ‘D***, I don’t know if I’m going to be alright. And then the next day feel good, and it’s just a rollercoaster. So, I’m feeling really happy. I couldn’t be happier with where I’m at. I’m 100% ready to go for the first game. So, it’s gonna be great.”
Rapoport reported that Garrett will indeed play in the Rams and 49ers’ shared regular-season opener in Australia.
“Myles Garrett–who has been, let’s say, sort of battling a knee injury, dealing with knee inflammation that limited his practice participation for the last several weeks–he has been a full participant this week in, basically, an estimated practice report,” Rapoport said. “He is off the report, he is good to go, and will play.”
The Rams have expressed zero concerns about Garrett’s status.
49ers Make ‘Improbable’ George Kittle Decision as Rams Get Bad News