49ers' George Kittle gets brutal injury update

Billy Heyen

49ers' George Kittle gets brutal injury update image

The San Francisco 49ers are dinged up everywhere.

And George Kittle won't be able to play through the pain, at least for now.

The 'Niners have placed their star tight end on Injured Reserve, according to multiple reports. That means Kittle will have to miss at least four weeks until he can return.

Kittle has a hamstring injury.

He sustained it during Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, and it didn't take too long for him to be ruled out for the remainder of the game. It had come after Kittle already had a touchdown catch to open the season.

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Initial reports had indicated Kittle was going to be out three-to-five weeks, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

It makes sense given the 49ers' schedule to put him on IR. The fourth game Kittle will have to miss is in Week 5, and that's a Thursday night game for San Francisco, meaning a quicker turnaround for Kittle if he was hustling to get back for that game.

In the meantime, the 49ers will rely on Luke Farrell at tight end. He's a highly regarded blocker but much less of a receiving threat. They also have Jake Tonges, who caught a TD in the opener after Kittle departed.

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The offense is suffering. Brock Purdy is battling a pair of injuries, and Jauan Jennings is hurting, too.

The loss of Kittle feels huge for San Francisco, especially after he got a new contract extension this offseason.

The hope for the 49ers is that the rest of them stay healthy while their stars recover in time to put together a strong season.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle