George Kittle Could Miss 49ers Season Opener With a Groin Injury

George Kittle is already in midseason form as he could miss Week 1 with a groin injury when the 49ers face the Bears.
In this story:

Let the injuries begin.

George Kittle is being held out of practice Wednesday with a groin injury and his status for the 49ers season opener versus the Bears is cloudy according to Kyle Shanahan. It is unclear exactly how Kittle sustained the injury, but it likely would've occurred during the 49ers' last practice.

Kittle doesn't necessarily have to participate in every practice this week. He's more than a good enough and experienced enough to just have Saturday walkthrough be his game prep. However, I doubt the 49ers will trot Kittle out there and put him at risk of worsening his injury. It is not like the Bears are a fearsome opponent that the 49ers desperately need Kittle out there to win.

Plus, the weather forecast for Sunday's matchup in Chicago is set to have rain. Footing can be an issue, which is poised to put any leg injuries at risk. If Kittle was dealing with an arm or upper body issue, then maybe he could go. Either way, Kittle is in peak midseason form already before the season has even began with his injuries. He's an injury-prone player. There is no keying in on how to reduce his injuries. 

Kittle is who he is at this point with his injuries and the 49ers just have to deal with it. He's going to pop up with injuries throughout the season and miss time. Whether he sustains the injury in practice or in a game -- injuries are inevitable with him. The hope here is that the groin injury doesn't linger throughout the season because Kittle has dealt with and managed injuries for a full season before.

Just sit him for this game and hope that he recovers for the long haul.


Published
Jose Luis Sanchez III
JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ III

Jose Luis Sanchez III has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily for FanNation since 2019. He started off as the lead publisher for FanNation's All49ers, then switched positions to become the Deputy Editor in 2020. Sanchez writes, edits, and produces videos daily for All49ers. He also co-hosts a show on YouTube with All49ers lead publisher Grant Cohn weekly. Prior to FanNation, Sanchez started his writing career back in 2016 for the school newspaper at Skyline college where he covered all sports team in the Bay Area. Following that from 2017 to 2019, he found a role as a contributor for FanSided's news desk along with their site's Just Blog Baby covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Gate Sports every professional Bay Area sports team. Atop all of that, he was able to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies at San Francisco State University in 2020. Sanchez is committed to ensuring he delivers transparent analysis and straightforward opinions that resonates with readers to get them thinking.