San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle faced a setback last week when he didn't practice due to a toe injury. Head coach Kyle Shanahan kept the details of the injury vague when questioned. When pressed for the specifics of Kittle's injury, Shanahan simply stated, "It's just a toe."
Kittle and the 49ers arrived in Las Vegas on Sunday night to kick off preparations for Super Bowl 58 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite the unexpected setback, the fact that Kittle addressed reporters on Friday is a positive sign regarding his availability for the upcoming week and the game itself. Typically, seriously injured players do not speak to the media.
Kittle was asked if he was concerned about the toe injury, and the tight end swiftly responded, "No."
Regarding the details of the injury, Kittle mirrored his coach's elusiveness, stating, "I would say, taking a page out of my hockey friend's playbook, I would say it's a lower extremity injury. That's about all I'll say about it."
It's unlikely that Kittle's toe, or any other slightly banged-up 49ers player, will be kept off the football field in the season's final game. Besides Kittle, the only player who missed practice last week due to injury is defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who is working through foot and knee ailments.
The 49ers are scheduled to have a Monday walk-through at UNLV before heading to Allegiant Stadium for Super Bowl Opening Night. The team will resume practicing at UNLV this week before facing the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in Super Bowl 58.