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San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle believes he’ll be back on the field faster than many expect following his right Achilles tear on January 11.
Speaking to reporters during Monday’s locker cleanout, Kittle shared positive news about his injury for the first time since it happened.
“Surgery went really, really good,” Kittle explained. “[Dr. Neal ElAttrache] said best-case scenario when you tear an Achilles is that you tear it up high by your soleus, which is what I did. I had a clean tear. They didn’t have to drill into my heel. And where the repair was there’s more blood flow. And so it takes some time off of the recovery time… It’s not as bad as other ones.”
When asked about his timeline for return, Kittle initially played coy, saying he’d “keep it as a surprise.” But he quickly dismissed suggestions of a midseason comeback, hinting it could happen “well before November.”
The five-time Pro Bowler vividly recalled the moment the injury occurred against Philadelphia.
“It felt like someone put a shotgun up against my calf and pulled the trigger,” he said. “The second it happened, I knew exactly what it was… Unfortunate, but football’s tough sometimes.”
Dr. ElAttrache performed the surgery last week in Los Angeles.
Kittle’s recovery is just one of several key situations the 49ers are monitoring this offseason.
Quarterback Brock Purdy, who missed eight games with a variant of turf toe in his right big toe before returning in Week 11, confirmed he won’t need any additional procedures.
“[The] toe is good to go,” Purdy said. “Obviously, I’ll continue to strengthen it and give it some rest and whatnot too, but it’s good.”
Meanwhile, backup QB Mac Jones finds himself in an interesting position after keeping San Francisco’s playoff hopes alive during Purdy’s absence. Jones went 5-3 as a starter with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions while averaging 268.9 passing yards per game.
His 62.9 QBR ranked ninth in the NFL – a dramatic improvement from the sub-40 QBR performances he posted with the Patriots and Jaguars.
“It was just so fun to get, as I say, the train back on the tracks and that’s what I wanted to do,” Jones said. “I put a lot of good film out there… Had a lot of fun and excited for what’s next. And I don’t know, I’m on a two-year deal, but I do believe I’m a starter in this league and I’m excited for continuing to get better this offseason and see what happens.”
Though Jones has another year on his contract, his resurgence could make him attractive trade bait for quarterback-needy teams.
All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, who pushed hard to return from his broken and dislocated right ankle suffered in Week 6, can now take a more measured approach to his recovery after the team’s elimination.
“No extra surgeries are needed,” Warner shared. “I think my rehab had gotten obviously super accelerated to try to make the NFC Championship Game. Now, I just get to kind of slow things down and really just work on all the little things that I didn’t get to work on before all this happened. It’s just business as usual.”
Perhaps the most emotional situation involves wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who becomes an unrestricted free agent in March if he and the 49ers can’t agree on a new contract.
Despite missing most of training camp with a hamstring injury while seeking a contract extension, Jennings fought through shoulder, ankle and rib injuries to finish with 55 catches, 643 yards, and a career-high nine touchdowns.
The sixth-year receiver struggled to contain his emotions when discussing what his time with the organization has meant to him.
“It means everything,” Jennings said, visibly moved. “It’s nothing like Santa Clara. First flew in here, I was thinking I was going to San Francisco just like everybody else. And you find out fast it’s Santa Clara. Now it’s home. It quickly turned into home and a run I’ll never forget for sure.”
His comments suggest Jennings understands his future with the team remains uncertain as free agency approaches.
