The San Francisco 49ers dealt with another brutal season full of injuries in 2025. One of those injuries was star tight end George Kittle.
During the team’s playoff matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, Kittle went down with a torn Achilles. That injury has left his status for Week 1 in 2026 up in the air.
Kittle has been attacking his recovery process hard. There seems to be a chance that he could play in Week 1 to open up the year. Even if he is forced to miss the start of the season, he isn’t expected to miss a lot of action in 2026.
Keeping that in mind, Kittle has emerged as a top candidate to win a major NFL honor this season.
49ers Star George Kittle Could Add to NFL Legacy This Season
Kalshi has released their odds for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award this year. Kittle is firmly on the list in sixth place.
Ahead of Kittle are Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and Green Bay Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons, among others. Murray is currently the favorite to win the award.
Right now, Kittle is being given a 13 percent chance of taking home the honor.
Fans can be sure that Kittle will be back to prove a point. Even though he’s dealing with a serious injury, he’s more motivated than ever to get back to work.
Within the new-look 49ers offense, Kittle should have an even better chance of producing big numbers. The addition of star wide receiver Mike Evans should help take some of the attention off of Kittle.
A Look Back at George Kittle’s Illustrious NFL Career
Since coming into the NFL back in the 2017 draft as the No. 146 overall pick in the fifth round, Kittle has played all nine of his years with San Francisco.
In those nine seasons, the 32-year-old tight end has racked up 595 receptions for 8,008 yards and 52 touchdowns. He will go down as one of the best tight ends in NFL history.
Last season in 11 games, Kittle still produced despite injuries. He caught 57 passes for 628 yards and seven touchdowns.
On paper, the 49ers look the part of a potential Super Bowl contender in the NFC. They won’t be able to live up to that hype unless Kittle returns fully healthy and plays up to his level. He seems to be on pace to do just that.
Hopefully, Kittle is able to get back on the field for the season opener. After that, seeing him put together a campaign that results in a Comeback Player of the Year award would be a pretty awesome sight.
49ers’ George Kittle Has Chance to Earn Major NFL Honor in 2026