49ers' George Kittle makes major prediction about playing against Rams in Week 1

Whether or not star tight end George Kittle will be deemed healthy enough to play for the San Francisco 49ers in their Week 1 game versus the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10 (8:35 p.m. ET) is a major story hovering over the 49ers ahead of the start of training camp. 

During an appearance on the latest edition of the "Chris Simms Unbuttoned" podcast, Kittle shared a major prediction regarding his availability for the Rams contest. 

George Kittle: "I like my chances" of playing in Week 1

"I like my chances," Kittle said, per David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. "I really do. I know I'm in a great spot, besides being late for rehab because of you. But besides that, the last couple of weeks, I was back into running routes. I'm definitely not 100%, but I feel like I'm at a spot where I think I can get there by Week 1."

Kittle suffered a torn Achilles tendon back on Jan. 11. The typical timeline for a return to action from that type of setback would lead one to believe that Kittle wouldn't be cleared to play in a regular-season game until later in the fall. However, he allegedly has been "ahead of schedule" in his recovery since this past spring. 

George Kittle will be smart with Week 1 decision

Much has been made about whether making the trip to and from Australia could negatively impact Kittle as it pertains to the 32-year-old being as healthy as possible through the bulk of the season. As much as he clearly wants to play against the Rams, it also sounds like he won't take too much of a risk. 

"If it's a stretch to go play in Australia, hey, we won't do it," Kittle added. "But I do feel confident that I have a chance to play. And so, I'm really excited about that, and it's been very easy for me to light a fire every single day. It's just because I know I have a chance, and I'm just going to attack it every single day and put me in a position to succeed."

Kittle and other veteran Niners players are due to report to training camp on Saturday.