The San Francisco 49ers are making roster decisions ahead of the cutdown deadline on Aug. 30. Nonetheless, with the preseason now over, all focus is on Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 10 in Australia.
San Francisco also has a major decision to make in the coming days: Whether George Kittle will play against the Rams. Kittle is coming off of tearing his Achilles last season in the playoff win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Despite the seriousness of the injury, Kittle is ahead of schedule and could potentially play in the opener. However, Grant Cohn of 49ers on SI believes that the Niners should take the cautious approach.
“Kittle’s recovery won’t be linear,” Cohn wrote in an Aug. 29 article. “Some days, he’ll feel better than others. And he’s way ahead of schedule as is. The 49ers should treat him with an abundance of caution. He’s too important in December and January to risk his season in early September when he’s less than a year removed from an Achilles tear.
“No matter how good Kittle says he feels, the 49ers should leave him home for the season opener and play the Rams in Australia without him. If they lose, that would be better than losing Kittle to a serious setback that could knock him out for months, if not longer.”
49ers Have Major Decision to Make Ahead of Week 1
Last season, Kittle played 331 pass snaps for the 49ers, earning a 90.8 overall PFF grade in the process. Moreover, the veteran tight end hauled in 57 receptions on 66 targets for 628 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Kittle also averaged 11.0 yards per reception and generated 259 yards after the catch. While the Niners could use this production in Australia against the Rams, Cohn is right to point out that the team needs to think long-term rather than the short-term.
Still, it is a division game, so a potential loss to Los Angeles could be costly later in the season if the race to win the division is as tight as many expect.
George Kittle Doesn’t Hold Back on De’Zhaun Stribling
Furthermore, one of the reasons that the 49ers might consider sitting Kittle for Week 1 is that they do have other pass-catching options. One of the young receivers who impressed in the preseason was 2026 second-round pick De’Zhaun Stribling.
It will be interesting to see whether Stribling can carry this form into the regular season. Recently, Kittle spoke to the media and highlighted one aspect of Stribling that has really impressed him throughout training camp and the preseason.
“I love what Stribling’s doing right now,” Kittle told reporters on Aug. 16. “My favorite thing about Strib is actually just his mindset every single day. Like, there’s no ego at all… He’s not sensitive whatsoever. He’s got the right mindset for everything. He shows up every day, and I think he just works really, really hard.
“And that’s all I’ve heard about him, too. I’m not in every single meeting with him, but I’ve only heard great things about him. I think he has a chance to be a very, very good football player for us this year.”
49ers Insider Delivers Stern George Kittle Verdict Ahead of Week 1