George Kittle, Ricky Pearsall injury updates: 49ers stars' status revealed for SNF vs. Bears
The San Francisco 49ers have released their list of inactives for the Week 17 Sunday Night Football matchup against the Chicago Bears. Notably, All-Pro tight end George Kittle is out.
Kittle is sidelined with a sprained ankle he suffered in this past Monday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts. The 32-year-old was said to be “unlikely to play,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Saturday.
Kittle said after Monday’s game he didn’t believe the injury to be a high-ankle sprain. 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.”
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49ers to be without George Kittle, get another playmaker back vs. Bears
Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges are the other tight ends on the 53-man roster. Joining them Monday is Brayden Willis, elevated from the practice squad Saturday. Kittle, who missed time earlier this season with a hamstring injury, has played in 10 games. He has 52 receptions for 599 yards and seven touchdowns.
Elsewhere on offense, the 49ers will welcome the return of second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. The 2024 first-round pick did not play in Week 16, out with a knee injury. He has featured in just eight games this season, hauling in 31 passes for 443 yards. Pearsall, listed as questionable, showed enough improvement in practice this week to be available Sunday night.
“He got through it,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He was able to go some, as opposed to last week he wasn’t able to go at all. I think it got better for him each day and hopefully it’ll continue here over the next 48 hours.”