Athletic: Kittle (Achilles) ahead of schedule

Speaking to the media Saturday, 49ers general manager John Lynch said that Kittle, Alfred Collins, and Isaac Guerendo will be moved to the PUP list ahead of the start of camp but that he is “optimistic on all of them hitting the practice field sooner than later.” As a reminder, players can be moved from the PUP list at any point during camp, meaning the fact that they currently find themselves with that designation does not mean they will miss anything meaningful to their fantasy value in 2026.

Kittle met with the media this week and said that the Achilles is “doing great” and he has had no setbacks. He even said it’s realistic that he could come back eight months after tearing his Achilles. The tight end turns 33 this October and still hasn’t been cleared for practice as he worked off to the side during OTAs. Jake Tonges will fill in for Kittle if he has to miss any time this season.

This is encouraging, though Shanahan added that he doesn’t want to say Kittle is “on track” to play, but he knows Kittle is “shooting for” a Week 1 return. One month ago, 49ers general manager John Lynch said he is “hopeful” that Kittle will be able to play in Week 1. It sounds like Kittle should return early in the 2026 season, even if Week 1 is out of reach. If they start him on the physically unable to perform list, he could return in Week 5. For the time being, it feels safe to say that he should be back by Week 5 or sooner. Anything can happen, though.

Per Lynch, Kittle is “progressing at a good rate” as he works through his rehab program. Kittle ruptured his Achilles tendon on January 11, 2026, in the 49ers’ Wild Card Round win over the Eagles. Dr. Neal ElAttrache repaired Kittle’s Achilles tendon later that week. A little over five weeks ago, ESPN’s Nick Wagoner said “it’s reasonable” to think Kittle could return in Week 5 “or so.” It sounds like Kittle now has a chance to beat that date, but we are a long way off from knowing anything definitive and Lynch’s status updates have trended towards being overly positive — Brandon Aiyuk is coming back any week now.

Wagoner’s long piece on Kittle’s injury is rooted in the idea that Kittle’s Achilles tear was “clean” and “happened high up by his soleus,” meaning the blood flow wasn’t as poor as it could be during the recovery. Kittle did not entirely rule out the idea of being ready for Week 1. We’d be surprised if a tight end entering his age-33 season was ready for Week 1, but we’ve learned not to count out any wild physical feats from Kittle. This timeline makes him a little more interesting in 2026 best ball, at the very least.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan adds that Kittle “is in good spirits,” post-op. That is good to hear. Kittle, 32, ruptured his Achilles tendon in San Francisco’s Wild Card win over the Eagles. He is under contract through 2029, having signed a four-year extension in April 2025. The procedure was notably performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

Kittle, 32, has a long road to recovery ahead of him and could begin the 2026 season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. He would be required to miss at least four games in that scenario. The veteran tight end finished the regular season as the half-PPR TE13, having missed Weeks 2-6 with a hamstring injury and Week 17 with an ankle injury. He caught 57-of-66 targets for 628 yards and seven touchdowns. The 49ers tend to keep injury information under wraps, but Kittle’s participation level in organized team activities, training camp and the preseason should provide actionable information for late-summer drafts. Entering his age-33 season and fighting with a mobility-limiting injury, he will be an extremely risky pick in 2026 drafts regardless of the offseason reporting.

Playing through an ankle injury of late, Kittle planted with extreme force in the second quarter and suffered what appeared to be a ruptured Achilles tendon. We, obviously, are not doctors, but these have become sadly easy to spot. Even were the worst-case scenario somehow avoided, Kittle is obviously done for the day and almost certainly for any potential 49ers Super Bowl run. The question then quickly becomes if the 32-year-old can be ready by next Week 1. At this stage of the offseason, it is not terribly likely, even though Achilles timelines have condensed in recent seasons. Jake Tonges is the next man up on Sunday and for however long San Francisco can stay alive.

Kittle got in limited work on Wednesday and Thursday and was spotted practicing again on Friday. He did play against the Seahawks in Week 18 so it’s not much of a surprise that he’ll be ready here. Kittle’s output will be paramount as the 49ers try to find a non-Christian McCaffrey trick over the middle against a fierce Eagles defense. He should make for a top-of-line DFS or Playoff Best Ball play at TE this week.

Kittle is on track to play, though it would be great to see him practice fully on Friday. The 49ers could be short-staffed when they face the Eagles this week. No. 1 WR Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle) has not yet resumed practicing since aggravating the PCL sprain in his knee in Week 17.