SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks as he recovers from a calf injury that kept him on the sideline for most of the week.
“I’m going to do everything I can to be able to be on the field on Sunday,” Kittle said Friday. “And then if the body says I can go, I’ll be out there.”
Kittle was a limited participant in Friday’s practice after he did not participate Wednesday or Thursday, leaving his status for Sunday uncertain despite coach Kyle Shanahan previously expressing optimism that the tight end would be OK.
“The fact that he wasn’t ready to go on Thursday has worried us a little bit more than we were expecting,” Shanahan said. “The fact that he could do a little bit today was much more encouraging than what it was yesterday, and hopefully we have that same result tomorrow.”
The plan is for Kittle to go through another workout Saturday. If that goes well, he should be able to play against the Seahawks in a pivotal early-season NFC West matchup for both teams.
Kittle said he has been dealing with swelling and pain in the calf since the Niners’ Week 1 win against the Detroit Lions.
The 49ers also listed running back Elijah Mitchell (right shoulder) as questionable and cornerback Josh Norman (bruised lung) as doubtful. Like Kittle, Mitchell and Norman will go through some testing Saturday to determine their status. For Mitchell, it will be about pain tolerance, while Norman must pass necessary testing that shows no fluid buildup in his lungs before he can be cleared to play.