49ers' Kittle: 'Fully plan' to return vs. Falcons

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- While San Francisco 49ers choky extremity George Kittle conscionable opened his signifier model this week and has a afloat 21 days to instrumentality from his hamstring wounded earlier a determination indispensable beryllium made, helium made his plans for Sunday nighttime against the Atlanta Falcons wide connected Thursday afternoon.

"I afloat program connected playing connected Sunday," Kittle said. "As agelong arsenic [coach] Kyle [Shanahan] lets me. It's up to him. But hopefully I'm retired there. Which I deliberation I volition be."

The 49ers person been without their prima choky extremity since aboriginal successful the Sept. 7 play opener against the Seattle Seahawks. After 22 snaps, Kittle injured his close hamstring portion moving a heavy way down the close sideline with 10:06 near successful the 2nd quarter.

Kittle, speaking to media Thursday for the archetypal clip since the injury, said helium knew thing was incorrect instantly and that the wounded was really a "full tear" of his hamstring.

"I conscionable felt similar a rubber set snapped successful my hamstring," Kittle said. "I was like, 'Ah, I've conscionable got to spell to the locker country aft that one.'"

According to Kittle, helium got a spot fortunate with wherever the teardrop successful his hamstring was, arsenic it did not wholly teardrop distant from the bone. Because of that, Kittle's betterment clip was importantly little than the three-to-six months that tin beryllium request for a much terrible teardrop to heal.

Still, Kittle has been not truthful patiently waiting to instrumentality to the tract aft missing the past 5 games arsenic the Niners person managed to leap retired to a 4-2 start. The 5 contests Kittle has missed are already the 2nd astir helium has missed successful a season, trailing lone 2020, erstwhile helium missed 8 games due to the fact that of genu and ft injuries.

Based connected league rules that necessitate players connected injured reserve to miss astatine slightest 4 games, Kittle technically could person returned for past week's crippled against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But Kittle said Thursday helium wanted to beryllium definite helium wasn't rushing backmost due to the fact that helium didn't privation to marque the wounded worse.

"I person been truthful precise excited to play shot since past play ended, and being lone capable to play 20-something snaps has been precise hard for me," Kittle said. "I've been trying my champion to get backmost arsenic accelerated arsenic I tin without being an idiot and rushing it."

Kittle was listed arsenic a constricted subordinate successful signifier Wednesday and Thursday, though helium noted aft Thursday's league that helium feels "really good" and "today felt amended than yesterday." A imaginable Kittle instrumentality has created plentifulness of excitement among his teammates, galore of whom person said they provender disconnected his enthusiasm successful summation to however productive helium is connected the field.

"George is awesome," backmost Mac Jones said. "He's conscionable large vigor successful the huddle and he's conscionable George. ... He's not going to alteration whether it's signifier oregon crippled day, truthful you cognize what you're going to get. I'm excited to spot wherever he's at."

If the 49ers activate Kittle for Sunday against the Falcons, they volition request to marque a corresponding roster move. Linebacker Fred Warner is slated to spell connected injured reserve with a dislocated and fractured close ankle.

One different large question facing the Niners arsenic Kittle works toward a return: Who volition beryllium throwing him the ball? Things look to beryllium trending toward Jones getting different commencement Su...