The bad injury luck continues for the 49ers.
Star tight end George Kittle, who already missed multiple games this season due to injury, was carted off the field during the team's wild-card game vs. the Eagles on Sunday. The 32-year-old went down during the second quarter with what looked to be a lower leg issue.
After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed fans's fears—Kittle had, in fact, suffered a torn Achilles. Shanahan said that the trainers knew what had happened before the cart even came out.
George Kittle was carted off after suffering an apparent right leg injury 🙏
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 11, 2026
(📺 FOX) pic.twitter.com/u6S6Vm6oZ9
Kittle suffered a hamstring injury in Week 1, then didn't return until Week 7, vs. the Falcons. The tight end then sat out again in Week 17 as he recovered from an ankle sprain.
The Niners finished the regular season 12–5 and are looking to make yet another deep playoff run this year—normally, that would seem much more difficult without Kittle, but at least they've already played without him for much of the season.
Though No. 85 wasn't on the field for the full game, San Fran still pulled out a win vs. the Eagles in his honor, and will now advance to the divisional round to face the No. 1-seeded Seahawks.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as George Kittle Carted Off Field During Wild-Card Game With Achilles Tear.
