Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle left in the second quarter with an Achilles injury. Elsa / Getty Images
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle was ruled out with an Achilles injury in the second quarter of Sunday’s wild-card game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kittle caught a short pass from Brock Purdy for a gain of 6 yards and appeared to injure his right leg as he was forced out of bounds by Eagles safety Marcus Epps. Kittle did not put on any weight on his right leg as he was carted off the field. It was Kittle’s first catch of the game.
Prayers up for George Kittle 🙏 pic.twitter.com/BaRVd2sWwp
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 11, 2026
Team owner Jed York and Claire Kittle, George’s wife, walked into the 49ers locker room shortly after the injury. Both appeared visibly somber, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
The 49ers have dealt with injury trouble all season, with the team’s Week 1 starters playing just 57 percent of the total snaps on offense and defense. That includes season-ending injuries to star defensive end Nick Bosa (torn ACL in Week 3) and linebacker Fred Warner (dislocated ankle in Week 6), although Warner could return later in the playoffs.
Kittle spent some time on the injured reserve with a hamstring injury he suffered in San Francisco’s season-opening win against the Seattle Seahawks. He was also inactive in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears with an ankle injury.
