George Kittle has probably been itching to get back on the football field. While the San Francisco 49ers' playoff chances are nearly nonexistent, the All-Pro tight end loves the game and will always choose to compete on the field rather than watch from the sidelines or a luxury box.
Of course, the 49ers are being cautious with their star player, who is returning from a broken cuboid bone in his foot.
"I know the way he's looked this week gives him a chance in these next two weeks," head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday morning on KNBR's Murph & Mac show. "I mean, it's similar to what we did with him last time when Kittle's had some injuries. I know he had that the first week versus Arizona. We got him into practice the Giants week and eased him in, and then we got him out there versus Philly.
"That's kind of the approach we're taking this week. It was nice to see him out there. He looked good. He ran a little scout team. ... I told our scout team coaches how they finally got our tight ends going on scout team. It was a little different watching him out there, but he was fresh and going.
"He looked good, but it's all about what the doctors say after he goes. He's got two days in this week and how he feels over the weekend, the soreness and stuff like that, because that's all the stuff you're trying to debate, whether there's anything lingering and what the safety issues would be if we put him back out there."
And no conversation with Shanahan would be complete without an update on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who is attempting to return from a fairly severe high-ankle sprain. The coach didn't have anything new to say on the quarterback's progress, though.
"No new news," Shanahan said. "I mean, what I said earlier in the week, we were hoping the whole time along to kind of give him and George the same plan, but Jimmy's injury is a little bit different. There's a little more risk in it, so we didn't feel good putting him back in practice this week. And it's also a little harder for the quarterback to get in there. There's not as many reps for the other guys.
"We'll see how he feels next week. Maybe we can get him into the practice, but I think his timeline is at least a week behind George's."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.