For once, the San Francisco 49ers have gotten some good injury news.
Star tight end George Kittle was officially activated from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list on Sunday. The tight end was back on the practice field for the first time since suffering an Achilles injury in January.
Just a week ago, Kittle revealed that playing in Week 1 is a possibility, and the tight end said he was “very confident” he wouldn’t start the season on the PUP list. Kittle was proven right on one of those points, but there’s still no guarantee he will be ready for Week 1.
Being activated off the PUP just means Kittle can actually practice once again. There’s no guarantee the veteran will be at 100% soon, but this is definitely the best possible sign.
What This Move Means For the Roster
This move provides some clarity for the roster. With Kittle being active, that means there’s going to be one less spot for a tight end.
If Kittle had started the season on the PUP list, then a player like Brayden Willis would have had a real shot to make the team. Now it’s hard to imagine Willis making it, as George Kittle, Jake Tonges, and Luke Farrell will all make it.
This also removes any worries about the tight end spot. There was some concern about the depth, as Tonges has never carried the whole offensive load, and Farrell is primarily a blocker. Now, Tonges can be the complimentary receiving threat, and Farrell can be the blocker, while Kittle takes most of the targets.
Other Players On PUP List
While Kittle is no longer on the PUP list, two players still are: Isaac Guerendo and Mykel Williams.
It’s probably not a good sign that Kittle was activated and the other two weren’t. Kyle Shanahan recently provided an update on Williams, and it definitely wasn’t the most encouraging report.
“We do think he’s close,” Shanahan said of Williams last week. “I do think Week 1 would be a long shot, but we haven’t ruled it out yet. He’s progressing really well.”
With Shanahan’s comments and Williams not being activated today, it seems like we can go ahead and count on the edge rusher not playing in Australia.
As for Guerendo, there haven’t been many updates recently. 49ers reporter David Lombardi recently suggested keeping Guerendo on the PUP list through cut day to save a roster spot. If the 49ers do that, they can still bring Guerendo back after the fourth game.
