Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

49ers Announce George Kittle News on Tuesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 7:46 PM ET

George Kittle and the No. 6 seed San Francisco 49ers kept their 2025 NFL season alive in the wild card round of the playoffs, securing a 23-19 win over Jalen Hurts and the No. 3 seed Philadelphia Eagles. Now, the 49ers will have another tough challenge ahead, hitting the road once again to face Sam Darnold and the No. 1 seed Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round.

Kittle had another solid year in his ninth season with San Francisco, recording 57 catches for 628 yards and seven touchdowns in just 11 games played. But in the Week 1 win over the Seahawks, the former Iowa Hawkeyes tight end suffered a hamstring injury, forcing him to miss the next five games. Kittle also missed the Week 16 matchup against the Chicago Bears.

In the opening-round win over Philadelphia, Kittle had a limited impact, recording one catch on two targets for six yards. He was unable to finish the game, however, as the 49ers sealed the victory with a go-ahead Christian McCaffrey touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) scores a touchdown during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans.Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Midway through the second quarter of 49ers vs. Eagles, Kittle secured his first and only catch of the day before being brought down by Philadelphia safety Marcus Epps. But the tight end was slow to get up after getting tackled on the sidelines, writhing in pain before he was carted off the field.

Kittle was unable to return for the rest of the wild card matchup and was later diagnosed with a torn Achilles tendon. The injury effectively ended his playoff run and has put his 2026 NFL season in jeopardy.

And on Tuesday, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan had an update to share about his star tight end, revealing that Kittle will undergo surgery to repair his torn Achilles on Wednesday.

"Kyle Shanahan announced George Kittle will have surgery tomorrow," the 49ers wrote on X. "Sending all our well wishes ❤️"

Kyle Shanahan announced George Kittle will have surgery tomorrow.

Sending all our well wishes ❤️

#IGYB pic.twitter.com/swE24EqNse
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 13, 2026

While Kittle begins his long journey toward recovery, Shanahan and the 49ers will look to earn a spot in the NFC championship as they face the Seahawks on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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