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George Kittle puts blame on Lucas Oil Stadium turf, hip-drop tackle for injury vs. Colts

Meby: Nick Geddes12/23/25NickGeddesNews

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle suffered an ankle injury during Monday’s 48-27 Week 16 road win over the Indianapolis Colts. Kittle left the game in the third quarter and did not return.

Kittle addressed the media after the game. In the moment, he didn’t believe the injury to be a high-ankle sprain, which would likely result in him missing time.

“My concern level? I don’t think it’s a high-ankle sprain, so we’ll take it one day at a time and go from there,” Kittle said, via Pro Football Talk.

Kittle then talked about the play the injury occurred. He said it was an illegal hip-drop tackle that caused it, and he also called out the artificial turf at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“It happened in the second quarter,” Kittle said. “I feel like I got hip dropped, ankle got stuck in the grass or the turf, the cork turf, really weird field. Tried to tape it up, went in in the third quarter, really got worse from there. If I can’t run very fast or plant, I think it’s better to have other tight ends in there making plays.”

George Kittle productive vs. Colts before injury

Kittle posted his best performance of the season before leaving the game. He hauled in a team-leading seven passes for 115 yards and a score.

Kittle, who missed time earlier this season with a hamstring injury, has played in 10 games. The 32-year-old has 52 receptions for 599 yards and seven touchdowns.

Kittle’s status moving forward will be determined later in the week. The 49ers, who must win out to secure the top spot in the NFC West, host the Chicago Bears this Sunday.

“Last night we got in, so I was able to talk about that, and when you know you’re in the playoffs, then you shift your goals,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “And that’s make the playoffs the best situation we possibly [can]. We’d love to play a home game at Levi’s [Stadium] and we knew the only way to do that was to win tonight versus the Colts. And we got that done and now we gotta look to do that versus Chicago.”