George Kittle injury update: on track for Week 1

George Kittle injury update: is he playing Week 1?

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers, says he is 'definitely on track' to play in the regular season opener against the Los Angeles Rams on September 10 in Melbourne, Australia, per David Lombardi of SFStandard.com. He added that 'nothing is 100 percent certain,' but the direction is clearly positive.

Kittle tore his Achilles in San Francisco's January 11 playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles. That kind of injury typically commands long recovery timelines, so his stated confidence heading into Week 1 is notable.

CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported there is 'a high level of confidence at this point' that Kittle will suit up for the opener. The 49ers plan to leave Australia a full nine days before kickoff, per ESPN's Dan Graziano, which gives the training staff extra time to monitor him in the lead-up.

What this means for your roster

If Kittle clears Week 1, he moves back into the conversation as a top tight end target in redraft and dynasty formats. The uncertainty around an Achilles return means you should monitor his practice participation closely as September 10 approaches, but the current signal from both the player and those around the team points toward him being available.