The San Francisco 49ers will open their season on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brock Purdy will finally have a chance to prove last year wasn’t a fluke — but is George Kittle playing in Week 1? Kittle has been dealing with a lingering groin injury. Let’s look at the most recent George Kittle injury updates as we assess whether he will be available in Week 1 against the Steelers.
UPDATE (9/10/23 at 8:18 a.m. ET): George Kittle is expected to start Week 1’s 49ers-Steelers game, per the latest from NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
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George Kittle Injury Update: Is San Francisco’s Star Playing Sunday?
George Kittle Injury Update
The 49ers may have to open their season without George Kittle. The star tight end has been dealing with a lingering groin injury for a few weeks. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that “[the injury] is still lingering a little bit from when he has missed some time,” back in late August. Kittle remained limited in practice all week with the issue.
General manager John Lynch echoed Shanahan’s concerns around the same time. “I think there’s always concern when something persists,” he said, “George usually has about one of these things a year, and then once he gets through it, he’s good.” Still, the fact the injury has lingered into Week 1 is even more concerning.
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Is George Kittle Playing for San Francisco in Week 1?
So is George Kittle playing in Week 1? It’s unclear, but if he is comfortable enough to suit up, I suspect the 49ers will let him play. It may be early in the year, but in what some analysts suspect will be a tight NFC West race between the 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco will need all the wins they can get.
The 49ers were trading as a 2.5-point favorite at the Steelers earlier in the week. But even with multiple big names picking up tags on the injury report, including Kittle and cornerback Charvarius Ward, the 49ers remain a 2.5-point favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook — albeit with the juice slightly favoring the Steelers.
If Kittle can’t go, the 49ers will likely start Charlie Woerner. Veteran backup Ross Dwelley is still on the roster, but he is listed behind Woener on the depth chart. Wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk stand to benefit more from Kittle’s absence than his backup tight ends, however, as Shanahan is unlikely to force Kittle’s replacement into a high-volume role.
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