On Friday, the 49ers listed Kittle as one of two questionable players. The other is cornerback Charvarius Ward. Kittle is dealing with a groin injury, while Ward has been bothered by his heel. Kittle has been a limited participant in practices this past week.
On Thursday, a reporter asked Kittle how he felt, and the tight end expressed optimism about his chances of playing this weekend.
"Wonderful," Kittle responded. "I get to practice, get to play football, have the best job in the world besides you guys, and I'm just excited to play on Sunday."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan had prepared for the possibility of facing the Steelers without his All-Pro tight end.
"[Kittle]'s a great pass-game tight end, and he's a great run-blocking tight end," Shanahan told reporters on Friday. "So obviously, anytime you're missing a great player, it does change things, but you always are prepared for that when you have an idea it could be a possibility, too. So it's better than being surprised."
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
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... -
49ers' Trent Williams expected to play vs. Eagles
The San Francisco 49ers are expected to have star left tackle Trent Williams available for Sunday's Wild Card matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Williams suffered a hamstring injury early in Week 17's game against the Chicago Bears,... -
49ers vs. Eagles injury updates: George Kittle suffers Achilles injury
The San Francisco 49ers are facing the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in a Wild Card playoff game. Below are the latest in-game injury updates for the 49ers. This article will be updated in real time as new information becomes available. Players are listed in... -
Loss of George Kittle latest heartbreaker in 49ers' injury-plagued season
Just how much must San Francisco 49ers fans endure this season? The sight of All-Pro tight end George Kittle making a catch, going down near the sideline, and immediately grabbing his leg was the latest gut punch for the 49ers in what has been a brutal, injury-plagued 2025...