One of the best tight ends in the NFL is trending towards playing on Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers.
Pro Bowler George Kittle, who has missed the San Francisco 49ers’ last two games with knee and ankle injuries, returned to practice on Thursday and sounded optimistic about returning to face the Packers.
“It went really well,” Kittle told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. “It was definitely a great step in the right direction. It was really fun being back out there with all the guys. I definitely don’t miss sitting in the training room all day. My goal definitely is still Green Bay.”
The 49ers listed Kittle as a limited participant on Thursday.
Kittle has 46 catches for 561 yards and two touchdowns in 2019. He set the NFL’s single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end in 2018 when he caught 88 passes for 1,377 yards and five touchdowns.
The Packers are well aware of Kittle’s dual-threat ability as a blocker and receiver. He’s also a dangerous runner after the catch.
Mike Pettine’s defense has been vulnerable in the middle of the field this season, creating the possibility for Kittle to be a game-changing factor in the showdown between the NFC’s top two seeds.
After 11 weeks, Kittle remains the highest-graded tight end at Pro Football Focus, and by a significant margin.
There’s potentially more bad news for the Packers defense: The 49ers may have receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel available on Sunday night. Like Kittle, both players practiced on Thursday.
