49ers vs. Falcons: George Kittle makes his Week 7 intentions clear

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle appears to be on track for a return this week after battling a hamstring injury suffered in Week 1—a setback that landed him on injured reserve.

"When you tear your hamstring, you don't really want to rush back into those things," Kittle explained after Thursday's practice. "I talked to some other guys who have had a similar injury before, and they're like, 'Just take your time with it, because if you rush it, and it happens again, then it's potentially season-ending.'"

Kittle revealed that the injury was a full tear but said his recovery has taken a positive turn in recent days.

"So, I didn't want to force that one, and this week, it just felt really good, and today felt better than yesterday," Kittle added. "So, excited to just go out there and hang out with my friends."

While the star tight end sounds eager to take the field when the 49ers host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, he emphasized that the final decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan.

"George is awesome," quarterback Mac Jones said. "Obviously, haven't gotten a lot of reps with him, but we have in a way, too, just from me watching, being a fan from afar. He's just great energy in the huddle, and he's just George. You guys know him really well. He's not going to change whether it's practice or game day, so you know what you're going to get. I'm excited to see where he is at."

Kittle strongly believes he'll be ready to suit up, providing a boost for the 49ers as they seek their fifth win of the season.

"I fully plan on playing on Sunday," Kittle said, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "As long as Kyle lets me. It's up to him. But hopefully I'm out there, which I think I will be."