George Kittle is an integral part of the San Francisco 49ers’ offense, and the team can ill afford to be without him for more in 2026.
In an NFL where teams are using multi-tight end sets more and more, the 49ers have looked pedestrian. San Francisco averaged just 5.8 yards per attempt on pass plays with multiple tight ends on the field in 2025, which 29th in the league, according to Sharp Football Analysis. When head coach Kyle Shanahan took an extra tight end off the field, usually leaving Kittle as the lone in-line threat, the 49ers jumped to 7.1 yards per attempt — third-best in the NFL.
San Francisco’s production is concentrated enough in Kittle individually that adding to the group hasn’t produced the same effect, a problem that is more about depth than offensive schematics.
Take Kittle’s production with Brock Purdy. Last year, Purdy and Kittle ranked first in EPA per play among qualified quarterback-tight end pairings with at least 75 targets, and fourth among all pass-catchers. They’ve done it over far more volume, too, connecting on 269 targets for 3,035 yards and 26 touchdowns since 2022.
That kind of individual production is exactly why San Francisco’s passing game doesn’t scale the way the rest of the NFL’s does when a second tight end enters the picture. Now, Jake Tonges filled in capably when Kittle was out last season, but even he is no clear replacement at the position. And the room behind him (Luke Farrell, Brayden Willis and rookie Khalil Dinkins) is built around blocking, not stretching the field.
This is why Kittle’s health is one of the biggest storylines to follow this offseason.
Kittle tore his right Achilles during San Francisco’s wild-card win over the Eagles on Jan. 11 and has stayed publicly optimistic since, saying in the spring he expected to return “well before November. General manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan have both since said he’s on track to potentially play Week 1 — a Sept. 10 season opener against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, the NFL’s first regular-season game on the continent. The long travel adds a wrinkle to that timeline that Kittle himself has acknowledged.
If the Achilles recovery holds to plan, San Francisco’s offense looks a lot more dangerous. If it doesn’t, the tight end room behind him hasn’t shown much evidence that it can make up the difference.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Why George Kittle’s health matters more than ever for the 49ers
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Niners Wire | USA TODAY Network
