George Kittle missed one game with a hamstring injury. He has no intention of missing another.
The San Francisco 49ers announced to reporters that they will return to action Sunday against the Green Bay Packers after missing last week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks with a hamstring injury. From KNBR:
“I will play on Sunday. Very excited, can’t stop playing Packers. I will definitely be there. When you go to practice today, it will be very fun and exciting.
Kittle was officially listed as limited by the Niners in practice Wednesday. He first suffered the injury in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with head coach Kyle Shanahan at the time describing the issue as “hamstring irritation.”
The injury was initially described as not very serious. Shanahan said later that week that he didn’t have much concern about Kittle’s availability against the Seahawks, but the Pro Bowler was still listed as questionable and later ruled out of the game.
Missing the Seahawks game, a 20-17 loss, snapped one of the best streaks of Kittle’s career. Between Weeks 5 and 10, Kittle averaged 79.8 yards and a touchdown per game. He already has the second-most touchdowns in a season of his career with seven.
His injury also continued the Niners’ trend of not being able to stay healthy, and they can only hope that there are no more surprises in store for them.
At the very least, San Francisco should get Kittle back for one of their biggest games of the season. The team is currently 5-5 in a three-way tie for second place in the NFC West and in dire need of a win to keep pace in a division they were supposed to rule. Meanwhile, the 5-5 Packers will look to avenge their loss in the divisional round last season and stay competitive in the NFC North, which is led by the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings.
The Packers are currently a two-point favorite to win at home via BetMGM.