The San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles are in a close one in the first half. The 49ers offense struck first with a touchdown from Demarcus Robinson after a long Robinson reception got them in the red zone. After their first drive, the 49ers slowed down on offense. Star tight end George Kittle was ineffective in the first half and also suffered a major injury.
George Kittle Injury Update
Kittle wasn’t involved in the passing game in the first quarter. He saw his first action through the air in the second quarter. On his first catch, the 49ers star, unfortunately, suffered an injury.
Kittle had to be carted to the locker room. He was visibly limping and putting very little weight on his leg as he entered the locker room. His calf looked to have pulsed, resembling a potential long-term Achilles injury. Fans started to fear the worst for Kittle, and their fears were confirmed after it was confirmed that the tight end indeed suffered an Achilles injury.
I don’t like how George Kittles right calf just looked 💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/rxVZUkaFog
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) January 11, 2026
San Francisco isn’t in unfamiliar territory, though. They’ve dealt with injuries to many of their offensive weapons and are still chugging along despite the circumstances. The 49ers are a gritty team that embodies the next man up mentality.
Hanging around against the defending champs with the list of injuries is a great position to be in. With a strong second half, the 49ers have a good chance of advancing to the next round.
As feared, the 49ers said TE George Kittle is out after suffering an Achilles injury. pic.twitter.com/O95uDJtipj
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2026
Brock Purdy needs to make good decisions. Spread the ball around and don’t hurt yourself to get this offense moving. San Francisco can feel confident that Purdy will do his job because he’s looked poised today and is the top-ranked quarterback in PFSN’s QB Impact Metric with an impact score of 92.1 from the regular season.
With Ricky Pearsall inactive, the 49ers were going to need big games from their offensive weapons. Kittle was going to have to be his elite self to punish the Philadelphia defense, but instead, San Francisco will have to do it without him. Jake Tonges has stepped up at times when Kittle is not on the field; now, there’s no better time for Tonges to shine.
The receivers will also be tasked with significant roles. Jauan Jennings and Robinson have already tormented the Eagles’ secondary for long gains. These set up scoring drives and have the 49ers in striking distance. Jennings has been the WR1 for the 49ers in 2025 and needs to step up.
If all else fails, feed Christian McCaffrey. He’s a force to be reckoned with out of the backfield. He can beat you as a pass catcher and on the ground. Give him the ball, and you stand a chance. It’ll be tough without Kittle as the Eagles will zero in on McCaffrey, but the resilient 49ers aren’t going down without a fight.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
