Many NFL fans are wondering how long George Kittle will be out. The tight end suffered an Achilles injury, as confirmed by the San Francisco 49ers during its wild-card game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, January 11.
The 32-year-old caught a pass from Brock Purdy when Eagles safety Marcus Epps attempted to tackle him, but his right ankle seemed to give out during the play. After remaining down on the field for several minutes, Kittle was carted back to the locker room for further assessment, with the 49ers officially ruling him out of the remainder of the game. Since then, a respected NFL doctor has weighed in on the extent of the injury and how long it will likely take for Kittle to come back healthy.
When will George Kittle return to the field?
Unfortunately, a NFL injury expert says that it is not “probably realistic” to see George Kittle recover from his torn Archilles by the start of the first week of the new season. The injury is expected to keep him out of the upcoming playoffs as well as a large part of next season, which starts in September 2026.
Jesse Morse, a board-certified doctor who specializes in NFL injuries, said on X (formerly Twitter) that it is “possible but unlikely” that Kittle will return to the field by opening day next year. The start of the new NFL season begins on September 10, 2026.
Morse later stated in a video on his YouTube channel, The Injury Expertz, that it will likely take a long time before Kittle fully recovery. “I don’t think it’s probably realistic for him to be completely ready for Week One, although I wouldn’t put it out of possibility,” he said. “This is a significant impact to his value moving forward, and whether or not he’s even going to be very effective for the rest of his career unfortunately.”
The doctor has seen a worrying rise in incidents related to Achilles injuries in the sport. “[Kittle] is 32, and he joins a growing list of offensive talented players that have torn their Achilles in the past three years,” Morse explained. “This is a significant growing trend. Choose whatever reason why you think this is elevated, but this is bad.”
A list attached to his post on social media notes that other offensive NFL players who are out with a torn Achilles include Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Daniel Jones, Austin Ekeler, Najee Harris, J.K. Hobbins, and many more.
The injury expert says it’s already difficult for many athletes to have the same mobility in their leg after they have torn their Achilles. And given Kittle’s age, the chances that he will heal back to his former athletic form will be even more difficult.
“This is a devastating injury,” Morse emphasized. “It is very hard to get back your explosiveness, your elusiveness, especially at the nine-month mark. But some guys never get it back. It’s much harder to do at 32, 33, than it is at, say, 23.”
Despite Kittle’s injury during the game’s second quarter and being without two of their best players, defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner, the 49ers scored a 23-19 win over the Eagles. Luke Farrell, a fifth-year veteran, is listed as the main backup for Kittle. Another tight end for the team, Jake Tonges, will likely see more action in the near future as the 49ers have clinched a playoff spot for the 2025 NFL postseason.
The 49ers are scheduled to face off against the Seahawks in the NFC divisional round in Seattle on Saturday, January 17.
