Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) is carted off the field after an injury during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

49ers' George Kittle gets carted off after brutal non-contact injury vs. Eagles

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated Jan 11, 2026 6:26 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers took a real gut punch in the first half of Sunday’s playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In the second quarter of the NFC Wild Card round game between the 49ers and Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa., 49ers tight end George Kittle caught a short pass to the right side on a 1st-and-10 play. As he was bracing himself for the tackle by Eagles safety Marcus Epps, Kittle planted his right foot into the turf.

His leg ended up bending awkwardly as a result, and Kittle quickly crumpled to the ground. He would eventually have to leave the game in the back of a medical cart.

Here is the video.

George Kittle was carted off after suffering an apparent right leg injury

(FOX) pic.twitter.com/u6S6Vm6oZ9
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 11, 2026

The 32-year-old Kittle is a seven-time Pro Bowler as well as a five-time All-Pro selection who is arguably the most complete all-around tight end in the NFL today. But injuries were already a problem for Kittle during the regular season as he appeared in just 11 of 17 games due to both hamstring and ankle issues.

San Francisco went into halftime on Sunday trailing Philadelphia by a 13-10 score. During a season in which they have already endured a lot with some of their other star pass-catchers, the 49ers will be hoping that Kittle’s non-contact injury somehow is not nearly as devastating as it looked to be there.

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

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