via Getty
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 07: George Kittle #85 is congratulated by Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers after Garoppolo threw a touchdown pass to Kittle against the Cleveland Browns at Levi’s Stadium on October 07, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
via Getty
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 07: George Kittle #85 is congratulated by Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers after Garoppolo threw a touchdown pass to Kittle against the Cleveland Browns at Levi’s Stadium on October 07, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
San Francisco 49ers are in a weird position right now. Their QB1, Jimmy Garoppolo, suffered a calf injury, ruling him out for the upcoming game against the undefeated Arizona Cardinals. In stepped Trey Lance, to quite the fanfare. However, they have now lost another crucial player, as George Kittle suffers an injury.
San Francisco 49ers place George Kittle on the injury reserve list
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It looks like the Niners’ tight end suffered a calf injury during the clash against Seattle Seahawks. He did not look like his usual confidence self, as the Niners slumped to their second loss of the season. Coach Kyle Shanahan has had a ton of things to stress about this season, but missing two of his best players would make him feel pretty stressed.
Kittle will miss three weeks of football because of his calf injury, which could be detrimental to the Niners. After the Cardinals, they face a few tricky challenges in the form of Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears and the Cardinals again. This was the worst thing that could happen to both Kittle and the Niners ahead of the second half of the season.
The #49ers are placing TE George Kittle (calf) on injured reserve, meaning he's out three games. Rather than having the injury nag him all season, the hope is it settles down and he can be back when eligible.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 9, 2021
Against the Seahawks, Kittle had a forgetful match, covering only forty yards with four receptions. When compared to Deebo Samuel, the Niners wide receiver covered 156 yards with two touchdowns, stats that put Kittle’s to shame. Leaving aside a poor performance against the Eagles, Kittle covered 92 yards against the Packers and 78 yards against Detroit in the season opener.
With the season getting tighter, how far will the Niners go with George Kittle out of action? Is there a silver lining buried somewhere deep inside the team’s injury crisis?
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Niners injury woes
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USA Today via Reuters
Sep 26, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
George Kittle isn’t the only superstar San Francisco 49ers fans are going to miss for the upcoming game against Arizona Cardinals. Missing their star tight-end and star quarterback is bad enough, but many important players were listed doubtful.
The likes of Chandler Jones, Justin Pugh, DeAndre Hopkins and more missed practice earlier in the week. However, these names will return to the squad against the Cardinals. As for Jimmy Garoppolo, he will sit this one out, allowing rookie quarterback Trey Lance to take the reins.
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The news surrounding Kittle’s injury would affect Trey Lance’s confidence ahead of his first start. He will now have back-up tight ends Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner to throw the ball to. Will this be a tough game for the Niners, or will Lance have a cakewalk debut? How much will Kittle’s absence affect them tonight?
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