George Kittle is slowly building momentum towards being ready to play for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1.
It’s insane to fathom considering he tore his Achilles in January. Yet he continues to provide positive updates that he’s coming along nicely and that he’s ahead of schedule.
Hearing that he’s doing so well may be a shock to people, which is why pundits are asking Kittle’s teammates how he looks. Kyle Juszczyk was one player, and now Mac Jones is the latest.
While appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, Jones was asked by Andrew Siciliano about how Kittle looks and if he will be good to go when the 49ers travel to Australia in Week 1.
“Kittle always looks good. He’s always training hard and doing everything he can on his body. He’s a wizard when it comes to that stuff,” Jones said. “He spends a lot of money on his body and takes care of it. I think it’s going along well. I’m not in his body, but he knows where he’s at. He knows how he feels, and I’m sure he’s gonna be ready at some point to go out there and rip it.”
An expected response from Jones. He’s not Kittle’s doctor, and he’s certainly not going to go out on a limb and say Kittle has a great chance at suiting up in Week 1.
In a way, it was pointless to ask Jones this question. But again, Kittle’s recovery is so miraculous that it inspires pundits to field opinions from his teammates.
Typically, when a player suffers an Achilles injury, especially in January, they’d be lucky to return by the middle of the season. Dre Greenlaw tore his in the Super Bowl and didn’t return until December.
It’s not a drastically different timeline from when both of them tore their Achilles. This is why it’s almost unbelievable that Kittle has a chance to be ready by Week 1.
Maybe he’s just trying to speak it into existence, which is admirable. He’s not allowing himself to get low, which is common for athletes who suffer a significant injury like that.
I wouldn’t hold my breath that Kittle will be fit to play in Week 1. Even if he is there, the 49ers will still want a ramp-up period for him.
Traveling to Australia will also throw off his routine. I don’t believe he’ll be active to start the season. It’s wiser to be extremely cautious with him than to trot him out in Week 1.
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