49ers-Broncos: TE George Kittle talking as if he expects to play

George Kittle made it through his second consecutive practice of the week and feels pretty good. The San Francisco 49ers tight end suffered a groin injury on September 5 and missed the season's first two games. Sunday may be different, though.

Kittle didn't officially confirm he will play against the Denver Broncos. However, how he spoke to reporters on Thursday gave the impression that he is ready to make his 2022 season debut.

"I'm pretty happy, I would say," Kittle responded when asked about his excitement level for playing this weekend. "Just a breath of fresh air, honestly. It feels good to be back on the football field with our boys. I love our performance staff. They do a fantastic job getting us back together, but I'd be OK with not really seeing them for the rest of the season.

"Yeah, so just really happy being back out there, catching the football. Actually getting to put pads on [and] hit people, it's fun."

The tight end admits he is itching to get back onto the field after watching from the sidelines for two weeks.

"That's what Sunday Night Football is for," Kittle added. "Just going to go out there and let it all out there. It will be really fun."

Kittle's return would be good news for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers offense, who look to ensure the team avoids falling back below .500. While general manager John Lynch praised Kittle's versatility and on-field production in the pass and run game, there is much more that the tight end contributes.

"He kind of lifts us," Lynch said Thursday on KNBR. "He lifts everybody around here because he's a character. But it's real; it's genuine. And he just lifts everybody's spirits with the way he plays. You can tell he loves it out here, and you need guys like that, that lift you, bring up the energy. I think that's been true this week."

Lynch added, "He's a big part of our core here, and real pleased that he's back and healthy."