49ers' Kyle Juszczyk reveals encouraging George Kittle update, praises Mike Evans, minicamp decision

On Saturday, San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk joined "The Insiders" on NFL Network and discussed where he believes the team currently stands, as well as some of his teammates. How is TE George Kittle coming along in his rehab from a torn Achilles? How does WR Mike Evans look so far? What did he think of Head Coach Kyle Shanahan canceling minicamp?

On the progress of Kittle:

"George looks great. As he mentioned a couple of days ago, he really is ahead of schedule. He was impressive just last week, seeing him running zig-zag, like making cuts, actually hitting 16 MPH or something like that. I've been super impressed. He's got another two months or so to get even better.

"It's been enjoyable to watch him go through this process because he attacks it as such a professional. He makes it a point to, no matter what we're doing, even when we're down in Cabo and we're celebrating [Christian] McCaffrey's birthday, and we're golfing, that guy finds his time to rehab. Whether it's early in the morning, late at night, he is always, always grinding. It's always on the back of his mind. I really do think he's going to beat some expected timetables. When he does come back, whenever that is, I think he's going to come out there and be the George Kittle we all know and love."

The 49ers need Kittle. It still seems unlikely he'll be ready to play week one, but they will need him back as soon as he can safely play. Jake Tonges can help fill some of the void in the passing game. But there's not much in the way of blocking from the tight end group without Kittle. Luke Farrell was supposed to be that guy, but so far, he's been a disappointment.

On the addition of Evans:

"Mike has been so impressive, and I feel like that's saying so much because we were expecting so much. You know, this is a guy, you know, we all say he's a bona fide Hall of Famer. What was it, nine or 10, 11 straight thousand-yard seasons? So your expectations are already high.

"And I feel like he's already exceeded that. He has been unguardable at practice. Red zone has been an absolute problem.

"And what a great guy, like what a great teammate. I think everyone has already enjoyed his presence so much. And I think he's gonna be an incredible leader for that room. And it's hard to imagine a better addition than Mike has been so far."

Evans is going to be fun to watch in this system, and with a quarterback like Brock Purdy, who throws with accuracy, anticipation, and who is willing to trust his receiver to make a play. The two appear to already be building a connection. If that happens, it will open up a lot of other things in this offense.

On Shanahan's decision to cancel this week's mandatory minicamp:

"I love it. For me, that's fantastic. I don't need minicamp anymore. I think he had a good reason. I think the team is in a really good position. Guys are healthy. The young guys have done a really good job since they've been there. I just think we're in a good spot and don't think we needed it right now."

It's notable that Shanahan was willing to cancel the minicamp. Juszczyk mentioned that the young guys have done well so far. That's a key for Shanahan, a detail-oriented coach who expects his players to be ready. He apparently likes what he has seen from the rookies and some of the other young guys. We've heard a lot of positive things this offseason about some of the young wide receivers, including rookie De'Zhaun Stribling, as well as Jacob Cowing, who is entering his third season.

The question will be whether or not they can carry that over into training camp and stay healthy. Second-year wideout Jordan Watkins is another player to watch. Last year, in training camp, both Cowing and Watkins looked good until injuries derailed their season. A healthy training camp could be big for both players.

There will be some key battles at multiple positions throughout training camp. And Shanahan must feel good about where the team is right now.

Watch NFL Network's full interview with Juszczyk below:

Written By:

Marc Adams

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