49ers Make Expected Dispiriting Move With George Kittle

Facing those teams without Kittle isn't too brutal. This is the easiest stretch of games on the 49ers' schedule. If there is any time to be without him for four games, it's now.

So, where do the 49ers go from here? Obviously, replacing Kittle's impact will be impossible. The 49ers would be lucky to shrink half of the hole left by him.

The initial thought is Luke Farrell. The 49ers signed him in free agency from the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's a solid blocker and has the skills to be a decent receiver.

There is also the hero from Seattle, Jake Tonges. But he's not a player fans should get their hopes up with. He had an outlier moment, but maybe it leads to increased involvement.

I think the 49ers look to Kyle Juszczyk to fill the void left by Kittle. He's been getting steadily utilized in the last two seasons as a tight end alignment.

Juszczyk has aligned as a tight end roughly 40 percent of the time in that span. He has spent more time acting as a tight end than a fullback.

Given the trust that Shanahan has in him, it's very likely Juszczyk fills Kittle's spot or at least helps in the aggregate. It probably wouldn't be a great idea to line up Juszczyk against a massive defensive end.

Nevertheless, no matter who the 49ers look to fill the void, it won't be the same. Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy, and Ricky Pearsall will need to pick up the slack left by Kittle.

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