George Kittle will be looking to be his past self after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in January 2026 during the San Francisco 49ers‘ wild-card playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kittle will be 33 years old in the early part of the 2026 season, and the question will be whether the Niners tight end can recover his past form. The veteran tight end is in the latter stages of his career, and so he can’t bank on youth being on his side to overcome this injury.

Nonetheless, 49ers on SI’s Grant Cohn doesn’t believe that Kittle will be his dominant self again post-Achilles injury. Still, he says the Niners standout can be an impactful player.

“I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong, but I just don’t see a world where George Kittle comes back and is dominant,” Cohn said in a May 11 video on his YouTube channel. “Even last year, he was not much of a threat after the catch. He was still a good blocker and good in the red zone. I feel like that’s what the rest of his career is going to be.

“He should still be a good blocker, maybe, and he’ll definitely be a threat in the red zone, but he’s not going to be a guy you can give seven, eight or nine targets a game to. He’s going to be a complementary receiver and a blocker, someone you go to on third down and in the red zone. He’s not going to be a YAC guy anymore.”

49ers Told to Be Careful With George Kittle

Last season, Kittle posted a 90.8 overall PFF grade for the 49ers. Moreover, he recorded 57 receptions on 66 targets for 628 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 11.0 yards per reception and generating 259 yards after the catch.

Because Kittle can still contribute at a high level, the 49ers reporter believes the team should be cautious with his recovery.

“A lot of people are still talking about George Kittle coming back in Week 1, but I’d say there’s a 0 percent chance of that happening, maybe a 0.00001 percent chance,” Cohn added. “I think what’s more likely is that he starts the season on the PUP list, misses the first four games, and then the team reevaluates things from there. I don’t see why Kittle’s return wouldn’t be handled slowly and conservatively.

“He’s too important, and at his age, there’s no reason to rush him back and risk another injury. He already came back too quickly from a torn hamstring and then tore his Achilles. It feels like one injury can lead to another because of imbalances, so the team has to be careful.“

Cris Carter Urges George Kittle to Take Time When Returning

While San Francisco could use Kittle, the Niners did invest this offseason in bringing in weapons for Brock Purdy. The Niners signed Mike Evans and Christian Kirk in free agency while drafting De’Zhaun Stribling in Round 2.

As a result, former NFL wide receiver Cris Carter is urging Kittle, like Cohn, to be cautious on his return from his Achilles tear.

“Kittle is a beast, man; one of the hardest workers,“ Carter said on the May 4 edition of the “Fully Loaded Podcast.“ “He’s doing everything too, from preparation, hydration, sleep, the active recovery stuff. Like, he is truly one of the hardest workers that we have in the game, one of the faces of the game…

“But in Achilles, these surgeries, the guys are coming back a lot quicker than they were in previous years… He will come back as a great athlete, but be careful, because you only have a few more training stops in your career. Don’t be in a rush to return.”