Tight end George Kittle was a surprise addition to the San Francisco 49ers' Week 6 injury report, suffering a groin injury during Friday's practice sessions.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters he expected Kittle to be available for the Niners' road bout against the Los Angeles Rams, although there were some doubts about just how healthy the 2018 Pro Bowler would be in the contest.
Early indications from warmups, however, indicated Kittle would be more than just available. The San Jose Mercury News' Cam Inman reported Kittle was going through his regular pregame drills at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, showing no signs of setback or reservation:
#49ers George Kittle looks OK in warmups after Friday's groin injury. I'd fully expect him to play today vs. #Rams.
— 𝙲𝚊𝚖 𝙸𝚗𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@CamInman) October 13, 2019
Inactive list due in about 15 minutes
And then there was this:
San Francisco also just released its Week 6 injury report, and Kittle wasn't on it. There weren't too many surprises on the injury report, actually, with the majority being injured players -- fullback Kyle Juszczyk (knee), cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (foot) and tackles Joe Staley (leg) and Mike McGlinchey (knee) -- who are expected to be out a few more weeks.
Exactly how much Shanahan elects to feature Kittle, though, remains up in the air. The 49ers field two backup tight ends, Ross Dwelley and Levine Toilolo, with the latter being more of a blocker.
The Niners and Rams kick off from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at 4:05 p.m. ET.