49ers' George Kittle to miss 3–5 weeks with hamstring; Brock Purdy's Week 2 status uncertain
Kyle Shanahan says tight end will miss 'a few weeks' after exiting opener; Purdy is dealing with left shoulder and toe injuries and may be unavailable against the Saints
George Kittle, the San Francisco 49ers' starting tight end, is expected to miss three to five weeks with a hamstring injury after leaving the season-opening victory at Seattle, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday.
Kittle exited the 17-13 win over the Seahawks on Sept. 7 after scoring the 49ers' first touchdown of the year. Shanahan described the timeline as a multi-week absence and said the team had not yet decided whether to place Kittle on injured reserve.
Shanahan also said starting quarterback Brock Purdy is dealing with a left shoulder issue and a toe injury and that he could not guarantee Purdy will be available for San Francisco's Week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints. "Not sure, has to see how it heals and how the week goes on it," Shanahan said of Purdy. He added that the toe was the worse of the two ailments.
If Purdy is unable to play, veteran Mac Jones would be the 49ers' likely replacement. Jones, the New England Patriots' 2021 first-round pick, played last season for the Jacksonville Jaguars, appearing in 10 games and starting seven in relief of Trevor Lawrence. Jones threw eight touchdowns and eight interceptions during that span.
San Francisco also suffered a brief scare when receiver Jauan Jennings left the opener with a shoulder injury. An MRI returned clean, but the team said it planned to follow up with a CT scan.
The 49ers were otherwise bolstered by the performance of running back Christian McCaffrey, who played the entire game and finished with 69 rushing yards on 22 carries and nine receptions for 73 yards. McCaffrey missed time last season with bilateral Achilles tendinitis, a significant health issue for the club, but showed no immediate signs of trouble in the opener.
With Kittle sidelined, the 49ers will look to other tight ends on the depth chart to fill his role. Backup Jake Tonges, who scored the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter in Seattle, figures to see an expanded role while Kittle recovers.
Shanahan declined to provide a firm timeline beyond the three-to-five-week estimate and reiterated that no decision had been made about injured reserve placement. The team will continue monitoring Kittle, Purdy and Jennings through the coming days as it prepares for its road matchup with New Orleans.
The 49ers' opening-week win preserved their unbeaten start to the regular season but came with the early test of managing injuries to key offensive contributors. How the club navigates those absences will shape its immediate roster decisions and short-term offensive plans.
The team is scheduled to continue practice and medical evaluations ahead of the Week 2 game. Any official roster moves, including possible injured reserve designations, would be announced by the club if and when decisions are finalized.