San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle shared updates about how his rehab for his Achilles recovery is going during an appearance on Pardon My Take. Kittle is beginning to run: “I got a run today, hit over 16 miles per hour. That was pretty sick.”
Kittle talked about what he’s doing and even provided the exact date for his potential return:
“I’m 21 weeks out, and I’m running over 16 miles per hour, so I’m having a great time. Single-leg box jumps, we’re cutting again, we’re having some fun.”
If that’s Kittle telling us his timetable, we can expect him to return in mid-November. That’s the big takeaway here. That would mean the 49ers would need to manufacture offense without their All-Pro tight end for more than half a season. The bye week is the first week of November.
Then again, if he’s cutting, even if it’s lightly, and at 16 miles per hour in June, you’d think his body would progress to the point where a target date comes before November.
Kittle will undoubtedly push to play earlier, but he’ll need to listen to his trainers and his surgeon:
“I’m a little bit ahead of schedule, so I’m trying new things. My trainers are like, ‘Yeah, just simmer just a little bit.’ Basically, what my surgeon told me is don’t be a dumbass, and I’m trying my best to just not be a dumbass. I am on a tight leash, but I’m pulling as hard as I can.”
You always have to protect these athletes from themselves. So when Kittle said he’s 21 weeks out, that might be all parties involved circling a target date that feels realistic without pressuring the star tight end to return before he’s ready.
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