George Kittle Is Back: 49ers Star Tight End Returns from Injury

Star tight end George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers has taken a big step toward playing again this season. The team officially removed him from the Physically Unable to Perform list, which is called the PUP list for short. This is great news for 49ers fans who were worried about Kittle after he got hurt last season. The update came from NFL reporter Ian Rapoport on Sunday.

Kittle suffered a torn Achilles tendon during last season's playoffs. It happened during the NFC Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He caught a pass in the second quarter and then had to leave the game. A torn Achilles is a very serious injury that ends a player's season right away.

Even with the injury, Kittle had a solid season before getting hurt. He played in 11 games and caught 57 passes for 628 yards and seven touchdowns. The 49ers made the playoffs, but without Kittle, they lost badly to the Seattle Seahawks in the next round, 41-6. That loss ended San Francisco's season.

During training camp this summer, Kittle practiced on his own instead of with the full team. He did not play in any of the team's preseason games. The 49ers beat the Los Angeles Chargers 41-17 in their most recent preseason game, with quarterback Brock Purdy playing. Kittle was not on the field, but the team kept a close eye on his recovery.

Kittle is one of the best tight ends in the NFL today. He has been chosen for the Pro Bowl seven times, which is an honor given to the top players at each position. In his career, he has gained 8,008 receiving yards. The average tight end who makes it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame has about 8,075 career receiving yards, so Kittle is very close to that mark.

If Kittle stays healthy this season, he is expected to pass that number easily. He would also move ahead of other great tight ends like Greg Olsen and Jimmy Graham on the all-time receiving yards list. Both Olsen and Graham are also considered possible Hall of Fame candidates one day. Getting past them in the record books would be another big milestone for Kittle.

The 49ers have one more preseason game on Thursday, August 27, against the Oakland Raiders. It is unlikely that Kittle will play in that game, since the team wants to keep him safe for the real season. San Francisco's first regular-season game is a special one — it will be played in Melbourne, Australia. Their home opener comes on Thursday, September 10, against their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams, and Kittle could be suiting up for that one.