The San Francisco 49ers somehow managed to make it to the playoffs despite their players getting banged up week after week. They took yet another blow in the wild-card game vs the Philadelphia Eagles, as tight end George Kittle was carted off to the locker room.

Watching it upon replay, his calf appeared to pop. The reverberation was clearly visible, and it would not be surprising if it were an Achilles injury. This is really bad news for head coach Kyle Shanahan, who might’ve gotten accustomed to them by now.

The injury came after George Kittle hauled in a short 5-yard pass from QB Brock Purdy along the right sideline. As Marcus Epps closed in, Kittle tried to push off his right leg and immediately reached down in pain as he went to the turf. It happened with 5:53 left in the second quarter, with Philadelphia holding a 13–7 lead.

Kittle stayed down after the contact. The 49ers’ medical staff rushed out, and soon after, he was loaded onto the cart and wheeled off. Not long after that, San Francisco ruled him out with an Achilles injury. If the 49ers manage to survive the night, they’ll be doing it without one of the pillars of their offense.

It really is a massive blow. Kittle has been one of the few constants in a season full of instability. In 11 games, he piled up 628 receiving yards. He’s run 292 routes, caught 57 passes, and scored 7 touchdowns. When San Francisco needed something reliable, Purdy usually looked his way.

By any measure, he’s been elite at his position this year. Kittle owns a 90.8 overall PFF grade and a 91.2 receiving grade, both tops among qualifying tight ends (1/37). Losing him will be pretty costly, and that’s not the first time the 49ers have experienced such a setback.

49ers’ injury crisis worsens

George Kittle is likely to be out for the season even if the 49ers advance tonight. And his injury just deepens a list that was already uncomfortably long. San Francisco went into the night without WR Ricky Pearsall, who was ruled out with an ankle injury, and without linebacker Tatum Bethune, who tore his groin last week against the Seahawks. He’s done for the year.

At this point, it feels less like bad luck and more like a running theme. Through it all, the 49ers have had their Week 1 starters on the field for just 57 percent of the total offensive and defensive snaps. That number includes season-ending injuries to defensive end Nick Bosa, who tore his ACL three weeks into the season, and linebacker Fred Warner, who dislocated his ankle in week 6.

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You could argue this is familiar territory. Injuries have followed this franchise for years. By adjusted games lost, the 49ers have ranked in the top five in 10 of the past 11 seasons. It’s basically a metric used to measure the impact of injuries. Over that same stretch, they’ve also suffered seven full Achilles or patellar ruptures.

As for Kittle, losing him now is a heavy blow on its own. But the bigger concern is how often his body has been put to the test. Since 2016, he’s dealt with 17 different injuries. Earlier this season, he spent time on injured reserve with a hamstring injury suffered in the opener against Seattle. He was also inactive in Week 17 against the Bears because of his ankle.

A victory tonight would definitely be a little bittersweet.