Will George Kittle play in the Super Bowl LVIII? Concerns related to the San Francisco 49ers tight end are swirling around the internet and the locker room. In an interview with The Athletic’s David Lombardi, the 30-year-old finally opened up about his injury but chose to remain cryptic.

Kittle injured his toe in the NFC Championship game. As per coach Kyle Shanahan, the Pro Bowl TE is considered “day-to-day,” moving forward. Given the extra week before the Super Bowl on February 11, it’s not surprising that the Niners are taking extra precautions with their star tight end. As the date of the big event is approaching fast, how well Kittle is ready for the showdown?

What did George Kittle say about his toe injury?

In a pregame press conference of the 49ers, ahead of the 58th Super Bowl, George Kittle talked to the media about his preparations, the upcoming challenge, the Chiefs, and his toe injury. During the presser, a curious reporter asked when and what happened to his toe and if there was any concern.

To which Kittle enigmatically replied, “I would say taking a page out of my hockey friends Playbook, I would say it’s a lower extremity injury. That’s all I’ll say about it.” The reporter again emphasized the question of concern related to this injury, but the tight end replied with a simple “No.”

The “hockey friends” reference was given here for one reason – recreational hockey injuries are a common issue. National Institute of Health’s research suggests that Lower extremity injuries in hockey are “particularly important because they account for approximately a third of all injuries and > 60% of all overuse injuries.”

In the NFL, Lower extremity (LEX) strains, including hamstring, quadriceps, and calf strains, are among the most common injuries. This results in a high burden, resulting in significant missed participation time. 

Although Kittle didn’t give a clear description of the gravity, fans are concerned about the issue, as he remained absent from practice, ahead of the Super Bowl.

George Kittle stayed away from Super Bowl practice!

George Kittle has now skipped practice for the three days in a row. This includes Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday practices. With nine days until the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s uncertain how many practice days Kittle will participate in next week.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan, too, remained cryptic on Kittle’s toe concern, saying, “It’s just a toe.” The truth of his injury and its status hasn’t been made public yet. Besides him, additionally, the HC revealed his other few players who are on the injury list. He named linebacker Oren Burks (shoulder) and cornerback Ambry Thomas (ankle), who were limited participants in the practice.

Read more: Super Bowl Bound George Kittle Flourishes Excitement for WNBA’s Golden State Team

One can assume that the 49ers would want to be extremely careful with their star TE. A toe injury might not seem like a major worry to some, but again, constant monitoring would be needed as the team behind its practices leading up to Sin City’s big weekend.

The Super Bowl LVIII is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 11, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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