49ers rally around George Kittle in playoff win over Eagles: ‘We’re going to play for him the rest of the way’

The San Francisco 49ers could have let George Kittle's second-quarter injury derail their Wild Card playoff matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Instead, they rallied around their All-Pro tight end, fought through adversity, and pulled off a 23-19 road upset to advance to the Divisional Playoff round.

Kittle went down after his only reception of the game, immediately grabbing at his leg as he remained on the turf. The 49ers star was carted off the field and taken to the locker room, ending his night and beginning what is expected to be a lengthy recovery.

After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed fears that Kittle suffered a torn Achilles—an injury that places his availability for the 2026 season in serious doubt. Still, Shanahan praised his team's response, noting how the 49ers pushed forward despite losing one of their emotional leaders.

"Losing Kittle early in the game, just is obviously a depressing play for everybody when you see that, and guys stepped it up and still made plays and competed," Shanahan said.

The coach acknowledged that he doesn't always immediately sense the emotional pulse of the team during games, given his focus on play-calling.

"It's always different for me, just because I'm not by the bench," Shanahan said. "I'm kind of in front of everyone. And once I heard on the headset, just going over there, it just felt horrible for Kittle."

Running back Christian McCaffrey admitted it was difficult not having Kittle on the field as the 49ers' offense battled a disciplined Eagles defense.

"This team has carried the character of George Kittle throughout the entire year, and since I got traded here, he's the heart and soul of this team," McCaffrey said. "And so, it's a tough loss. When he's not playing, it means a lot.

"But he's somebody that, even going through something that he had to go through, and us finding a way to finish, he's the first guy in the locker room smiling, bumping music, happy for his teammates.

"And when you lose a leader like that, you never really lose them because his presence is still in this locker room, his energy is still here, and he's a leader, and the heart and soul of this team. And so, we're praying for him, love him, and we're going to play for him the rest of the way."

Shanahan said there was no need to specifically address Kittle's injury during halftime, noting the veteran makeup of the locker room.

"It's football. Guys understand that," Shanahan said. "So you don't have to address that. Guys know it right away. Guys [are] seeing George, spending time with him in there now."

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk acknowledged that losing Kittle hit different, but the tight end had an important message to his teammates at halftime.

"Man, losing George is different," Juszczyk said. "That's the heart and soul of our team. He brings so much energy, and just what an incredible player that he is, so that definitely hurts a lot.

"But even when he was down, he was still positive. I came in at halftime, and he was smiling. And he said, 'I'm not dead yet, man. I'll be back. Go win it.' And that meant a lot.

"And guys just continue to step up and find ways, even when we lose our best players, and we did enough to get the win."

Tackle Trent Williams admits that he was in "disbelief" when Kittle went down. The offensive lineman was one of the players who remained near Kittle after the injury.

"George is like a Superman around here," Williams said. "So, yeah, just kind of in disbelief. I just wanted to say a quick prayer for him, and just hoping for the best. I just really wanted him to know I was there for him."

With the stakes of a road playoff game, the 49ers had little time to dwell on the loss during the contest itself.

"I think you digest it after the game," McCaffrey said. "It's a weird deal when your brother goes down, but plays are called, and you've got to go out there and execute. You've still got a game to win.

"And the way I see it, George wouldn't want you to harp over anything that goes on with him. He'd want you to get back in there and continue to play."

In Kittle's absence, the 49ers leaned on tight ends Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell—two players the coaching staff and locker room trust. They'll continue to do so for the remainder of this playoff run.

"Jake and Luke have stepped it up for us all year, so I think the guys had a lot of confidence in those guys that they could still do it and things like that," Shanahan said. "But I think everyone's just hurting for Kittle."