The San Francisco 49ers are welcoming back tight end George Kittle to the practice field on Wednesday. He remains on injured reserve while recovering from a hamstring injury, but there's optimism he could suit up for Sunday night's game against the Atlanta Falcons. Kittle's return would be a huge lift for the offense, both as a reliable pass catcher and as one of the NFL's best run-blocking tight ends.

"Just having another good blocker always helps," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. "I thought the other tight ends have blocked well, though, and just having them back in the pass game, I think, is huge, just having an explosive athlete out there who can run away from people. But both. Just having them on the field on every offensive play helps."


Shanahan added, "He had a big hamstring pull, which there's a lot of different degrees of it. His was a big one. He's rehabbed so hard to get back, and I know he's excited to get back."

Quarterback situation: Purdy and Jones banged up


While Kittle's return is good news, the 49ers' quarterback situation remains unsettled. Both Brock Purdy and Mac Jones are expected to be limited in Wednesday's practice (see below). Asked if Jones was more restricted than Purdy, Shanahan clarified, "No, Brock's more limited than Mac."

Wednesday practice report


Unfortunately, Shanahan shared a lengthy list of injuries as the 49ers head into their first practice of the week.

49ers players who will not practice on Wednesday:

Shanahan specifically addressed Pearsall's knee injury, which has sidelined the second-year wideout for the past two games.


"We hoped it would go faster, but it's a thing that's normal, and it's not going faster than expected," Shanahan said. "But he's better this week than last week, and hopefully it continues."

49ers players limited in Wednesday's practice:

Update: Puni ended up not practicing.

Fred Warner surgery update


Shanahan also provided an update on Fred Warner, who underwent surgery on Tuesday after suffering a dislocated and fractured right ankle in Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The operation officially ends the All-Pro linebacker's 2025 season.

"The surgery went good," Shanahan said. "Just talking to everyone, they said it went great."


Shanahan had previously estimated Warner's recovery at about three months, sparking speculation about a potential playoff return if the 49ers advance deep in January. However, the coach downplayed that scenario for now.

"I just threw out there three months, but we haven't thought about that yet," Shanahan clarified. "I mean, he just had surgery yesterday, so we'll see how that goes, but not thinking about that right now."

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