The San Francisco 49ers, who rarely receive good news when it comes to injuries, just got a potentially huge boost.
During “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, he revealed that sources have told him George Kittle is expected to be practicing with the team on Tuesday.
“Team reps, I believe George Kittle will be back full action tomorrow,” McAfee said. “That’s probably a huge test before we hop on this plane to get to Australia, but seemingly, one of the best players in football is going to be back for the San Francisco 49ers.”
The news of Kittle returning to the field comes days after the 49ers played their final preseason game on Thursday against the Las Vegas Raiders, where head coach Kyle Shanahan suggested to reporters after the game that the star tight end had “taken a step back” from his injury.
Before that ominous update, Kittle was trending toward a Week 1 return as the 49ers activated him from the PUP list last week.
Kittle has been working his way back from a ruptured Achilles injury he suffered during a Wild Card matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles last season.
The injury occurred moments after receiving his first catch of the game in the second quarter, when he took a step back before being tackled.
Kittle has been working his way back from the injury at a rapid pace. The estimated timeline to return from the injury is about 9-12 months. Kittle is hoping to be recovered from it after eight months.
Right before the 49ers reported for training camp last month, Kittle revealed a video of him working out, where he was seen deadlifting over 665 pounds.
As he’s progressed through his injury, Kittle told The Post on August 16 that he and his surgeon believe he has a chance to play in the 49ers’ Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
If Kittle is available to play in Week 1, it would be the fastest recovery by an NFL player to have had the injury.
