George Kittle's Achilles tendon injury deemed 'best-case scenario' by doctors

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle said doctors characterized his ruptured Achilles tendon as a “best-case scenario," providing hope that he could return without missing significant time next season.

Kittle hurt his right Achilles tendon in a wild-card win over Philadelphia on Jan. 11 and had surgery last week in Los Angeles. Kittle said Dr. Neal ElAttrache told him he had a “clean tear” near his soleus muscle that is higher on the Achilles tendon.

“They didn’t have to drill into my heel,” Kittle said Monday. “Where the repair was, there’s more blood flow so it takes some time off the recovery time. So he’s very excited about everything. My recovery — when I’ll be running, when I’ll be ready to go play again — he’s very excited about it. So that puts me in a really good mood. It’s not as bad as other ones.”

Kittle didn't want to give a timeline for his potential return, saying, “I'll keep it a surprise.” But a return in eight to nine months could get Kittle back on the field near the beginning of the 2026 season.

Kittle said he knew immediately how serious the injury was, saying it "felt like someone put a shotgun up against my calf and pulled the trigger.”

He told the Eagles trainer who was first on the field to check on him that he needed a cart and was taken back to the locker room. Kittle was joined there by his family, as well as Niners owner Jed York, who procured a bottle of tequila for his star player.

“Getting his support was absolutely fantastic," Kittle said. "Just the fact that the team owner comes down to come give his condolences to you, and just like stays there for you, just really means what kind of place this is, and the people that are in this building. And it makes me really happy to be a Niner.”

Kittle is a two-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler who is a key part of San Francisco’s offense as a passing threat and a blocker in the run game. He had 57 catches for 628 yards receiving and seven touchdowns this season.

The Niners struggled offensively in his absence last week, losing 41-6 to Seattle in the divisional round.

There were a few other injury updates on locker cleanout day.

Star linebacker Fred Warner said he was ready to return had the team advanced to the NFC title game, but now will slow down his rehabilitation work with significantly more time to heal.

“I think my rehab had gotten obviously super accelerated to try to make the NFC championship game,” Warner said. "Now, I just get to kind of slow things down and really just work on all the little things that I didn’t get to work on before all this happened. It’s just business as usual.”

Rookie defensive end Mykel Williams, who tore his ACL in Week 9, said his rehabilitation is going well and he hopes to be ready for the season opener.

Quarterback Brock Purdy said he won't need any special treatment for his turf toe injury that sidelined him for eight games during the season.

″The toe is good to go,” Purdy said. “Obviously, I’ll continue to strengthen it and give it some rest and whatnot. But it’s good.”

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