George Kittle’s recovery from a torn Achilles had kept his Week 1 status uncertain throughout training camp. Now, with the San Francisco 49ers officially activating him from the PUP list on Sunday, that uncertainty has eased. Following the news, Claire Kittle shared her reaction and it didn’t take much to see she was happy about it. She summed up the moment pretty simply.
“Are you human?” she wrote on her Instagram story after the 49ers announced George was officially off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
In another story, she went a step further, calling him a “unicorn.”
Honestly, it’s hard to blame her for being impressed. George Kittle was back on the practice field Sunday for the first time since tearing his Achilles in January, and getting there wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. Just a few days back, he described the recovery process as “the most boring rehab in the world.”
Still, Kittle had been dropping hints that he wasn’t far off. He’d already said he felt “very confident” about avoiding a PUP list start to the season, and when asked if he’d be practicing soon, he didn’t hold back.
“I have a chance,” he said. “We’re running around a lot, hitting top speeds. Hopefully, we’re back in pads practicing sooner than later. Just trying to check the boxes and not be a dumba–.”
Turns out he was right, at least about the timeline. Whether he’s ready for Week 1 is still up in the air.
By his own account, Kittle feels close to where he was physically before the injury, which happened against the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild card round on January 11. He had surgery three days later and hasn’t taken the field since, so this is a real step forward.
Last season was rough for Kittle in terms of availability. He only played in 11 games, though he still managed 57 catches for 628 yards and seven touchdowns. And he wasn’t alone in dealing with injuries. The 49ers had a tough year across the board, with Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, and Fred Warner all missing time too.
Notably, Kittle wasn’t the only big name back at practice Sunday, either. Christian McCaffrey returned for the first time since August 10, taking part in team drills, receiving four touches.
Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak didn’t try to downplay what it meant having both of them out there.
“It definitely just gives us energy,” he said. “It just changes things. You have two Hall of Fame-caliber players out there who are back out there and getting their work in, and they practice at a high standard, and they lift everybody up. It’s good to see them back out there.”
With this move, Kittle is no longer subject to the automatic four-game absence that would have come with remaining on the PUP list. Whether he’s ready to suit up for the Week 1 opener against the Rams in Australia is still to be determined.