San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle was activated off the physically unable to perform list Sunday and returned to practice for the first time since suffering a torn Achilles in January.
Looks good to me … pic.twitter.com/i0jMRivDo0
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) August 23, 2026
Kittle has been adamant about suiting up in Week 1, when the 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams in Australia. While the contest is slated for Sept. 10, the team is expected to travel Sept. 2.
The 32-year-old has hit every benchmark of his rehab process, and coming off the PUP list sets him up to return to game action within the first four weeks of the season.
"I want to play in every football game that I possibly can play in, but I'm also aware it's an 18-week season," Kittle said Aug. 16, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "If you miss Week 1 and you're playing Week 2, hey, it is what it is. ... I'm just going to keep that as my goal and then we'll adjust from there if we need to."
The star pass-catcher suffered the injury during San Francisco's wild-card round victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. He suited up in 11 contests last season, recording 57 catches for 628 yards and seven touchdowns. Among all qualifying tight ends in 2025, he ranked third in EPA/target and passer rating when targeted, according to TruMedia.
San Francisco also welcomed running back Christian McCaffrey, who'd been sidelined due to what the team called "tightness," back to practice Sunday, Wagoner adds. Amid the rash of injuries, the club recently lost wide receiver Ricky Pearsall for the season due to a knee injury suffered earlier in training camp.
The 49ers will meet the Las Vegas Raiders in their preseason finale Aug. 27.
