49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday announced tight end George Kittle sprained his knee during Sunday’s loss to Arizona. His status for Week 2 against the Jets in New York is unknown. Kittle will be evaluated Wednesday to see if he’s able to practice, and his week of practice will determine whether he plays in the second game.
Kittle went down late in the first half Sunday when he jumped for a high throw from Jimmy Garoppolo. Cardinals safety Budda Baker hit Kittle low and bent his knee awkwardly. The tight end jogged gingerly off the field before sitting the bench and getting worked on by trainers.
He returned for the entire second half and wound up only missing one offensive snap, but he wasn’t targeted in the passing game. He finished the game with four catches for 44 yards.
San Francisco is already struggling to find pass catchers. Deebo Samuel, the team’s leading wide receiver from last season, is on Injured Reserve with a foot injury, and rookie WR Brandon Aiyuk and WR Richie James Jr. are both working through hamstring injuries. If Kittle is unavailable for either one or both of the team’s two games in New York vs. the Jets and Giants, finding victories in those contests would become a much more daunting task.
