The San Francisco 49ers will be without some players on Friday when they face the Kansas City Chiefs, and a notable one will likely be rookie tight end George Kittle.
Kittle suffered a hamstring injury last week, but returned to practice on Monday. It appears he tweaked the injury on Wednesday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he would be surprised if Kittle would play on Friday.
“I’d be surprised. He came back out, we thought he was good. His ham tightened up a little bit on him yesterday in practice. That’s why we held him out today. I’d be surprised if he played.”
It is a disappointment to see Kittle held back by the injury. When he has been on the field during camp and the offseason workout program, Kittle has been regularly mentioned for his contributions. He has gotten extensive rotation into the first team offense, and seems to be a critical part of the roster overhaul.
Hamstrings are tricky injuries that can flair up if a player comes back to quickly. I want to see Kittle getting time with Brian Hoyer and company, but not at the expense of a potentially longer-term injury.