Kittle was placed on injured reserve and missed each of the 49ers’ last five games. But now that he’s cleared the required four-game mark, he’s eligible to return to the practice field and could suit up for Sunday’s Week 7 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

On Monday, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said he expects Kittle to practice this week.

“49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said he expects George Kittle to return to practice this week ahead of Sunday’s game vs. the Falcons,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported.

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Last week, Shanahan expressed confidence that Kittle could be ready to go when the 49ers play the Falcons on Sunday.

“Kyle Shanahan says there’s a chance George Kittle is back next week vs Atlanta, but it doesn’t sound like there’s a chance LG Ben Bartch will be ready yet for that week,” team insider David Lombardi reported before the 49ers’ Week 6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kittle was on pace for a great start to the season before suffering his hamstring injury in Week 1, reeling in four catches for 25 yards and one touchdown in the 49ers’ season-opening win over the Seahawks. Through 15 game appearances in 2024, the six-time Pro-Bowl TE had 78 catches for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns.

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Backup TE Jake Tonges has been solid as a replacement for Kittle, grabbing 25 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns through six games.

Despite an injury-ridden start to the 2025 NFL season, the 49ers still hold first place in the NFC West with a 4-2 record. The team will look to add to its win total when they kickoff against the Falcons in a primetime “Sunday Night Football” matchup this coming weekend.