The San Francisco 49ers are hoping George Kittle will be ready to return for the start of the regular season, but former 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci isn't convinced that will happen. Kittle recently provided an encouraging update on his recovery from the torn Achilles he suffered during San Francisco's playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks in January, and believes he can be on the field when the 49ers open the regular season in Australia. He believes he will be ready "sooner than later."
Mariucci, however, recently spent time with Kittle during his recovery and came away less optimistic about the tight end's chances of being ready for week one.
"George Kittle seems very optimistic. I've spent a lot of time with him, but he's not there yet," Mariucci told Casino.org/us. "I don't know if he'll be ready for the first game. Heck, he tore that Achilles in the playoffs, so that might be too quick of a turnaround. It could be an issue for them offensively."
That's certainly not what 49ers fans want to hear. Kittle has been one of the most important pieces of Kyle Shanahan's offense for years, and losing him for any significant amount of time would force the 49ers to adjust how they attack opposing defenses.
The timing of the injury makes his potential return even more interesting. An Achilles injury suffered in the playoffs doesn't leave much time for a player to recover before the following season begins. And while Kittle remains optimistic, Mariucci's comments suggest the 49ers shouldn't count on having their All-Pro tight end available when the regular season begins.
Kittle isn't the only concern Mariucci has when it comes to the 49ers' health.
Concerns about Nick Bosa
Nick Bosa is another player Mariucci is keeping a close eye on. The former 49ers coach made it clear that he still considers Bosa one of the best defensive players in football when healthy. The problem, in Mariucci's view, is that Bosa hasn't been able to consistently stay healthy in recent seasons. "When Nick Bosa is healthy, he's as good as anybody in the league, but he just hasn't been healthy the last couple years," Mariucci said. "He's practicing, and he's got to do something, but he's becoming a constant concern for me."
Bosa's health will obviously be something to monitor throughout the season, but Mariucci doesn't believe 49ers fans should panic over the team's injury situation. "Well, last year they also had the injury bug big time, and they still managed to win 12 games," Mariucci said. "That's a sign of a really good team and good coaching staff. They finished strong. That might have been Kyle Shanahan's best coaching job last year because they were just snakebit with injuries, and yet he still found ways to win.
"So now here we go again. I don't think the fans should be worried. They've proven they can do it before, so it shouldn't be an issue this year either."
That's probably the biggest reason for optimism. The 49ers have already shown they can overcome significant injuries. The challenge this year will be doing it again while dealing with two other really good teams in the NFC West.
Christian McCaffrey can't carry the entire offense
Mariucci also brought up another important issue for San Francisco: managing Christian McCaffrey's workload. McCaffrey remains one of the most important players on the 49ers' roster, but Mariucci doesn't believe Shanahan can afford to lean on him for another massive workload.
"I think they've recruited well," Mariucci said. "They've signed [De'Zhaun] Stribling from Ole Miss, the receiver. They needed a receiver, and he's a fast guy. He's 6'2", weighs 200-some pounds, and he runs a 4.36." Mariucci also pointed to the additions of Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, and Deebo Samuel as moves that could provide the 49ers with more offensive flexibility and depth. But he believes the running back position deserves particular attention.
"And then, because they don't have a lot of depth behind Christian McCaffrey, they then brought Kaelon Black in from Indiana who they picked up in the third round," Mariucci added. "I expect he's going to be a guy that gets some snaps, because Christian can't have 400 touches again. When you start to get over 30, you've got to be judicious with how many times your running back gets banged up. And he will likely be one of the most important guys on the roster, so he better not get hurt."
McCaffrey is still capable of being the centerpiece of the offense, but the 49ers need to find ways to keep him fresh throughout the season. Having another running back capable of taking meaningful snaps could become extremely important. Mariucci believes Black could be that player.
"Look, they would miss Kittle. Purdy, they would miss him. Trent Williams, they would miss him," Mariucci said. "They played without Bosa last year, so that should be okay without him, but if you don't have Christian McCaffrey, you're a different kind of offense. So, they've got to spell him once in a while, and this Kaelon Black kid, he might be the guy to do that. I don't second-guess their draft choices; we've just got to wait and see what kind of playing time these young kids get."
For the 49ers, injuries are the biggest question heading into the season. Every team deals with this. The teams that survive them best are usually the ones with enough depth to absorb the losses. San Francisco knows that lesson better than most after what happened last season. But if Kittle isn't ready for week one, Bosa's health remains a concern, and McCaffrey has to be carefully managed, the 49ers could once again be asking their depth players to play significant roles.
Mariucci has confidence that Shanahan and the 49ers can handle it. But when it comes to Kittle specifically, he isn't ready to make the same prediction. And considering Mariucci has spent time with Kittle during his recovery, his skepticism about the tight end being ready for week one is certainly worth paying attention to.
More info on: Kaelon Black, Nick Bosa, Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, De'Zhaun Stribling, Trent Williams
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