Despite missing Wednesday’s practice, San Francisco king-pin George Kittle says he’s feeling “fabulous” heading into Sunday’s NFC final.
The Californians are set to play the Green Bay Packers at home in the NFC Championship game.
And If Kittle doesn’t play he’ll be missed, to be sure, At 6ft 4in and 250lb, 26-year-old tight end is one of San Francisco’s big men He’s also been one of their biggest stars for the past two seasons.
A Pro Bowler in both 2018 and 2019, he was also named as a First-Team All Pro performer this year.
His appearance, therefore, on the team’s injury report Wednesday did cause some concern, notably among the 49er fans. He was reportedly sidelined because of an ankle problem.
However, there was some good news for his camp and for 49er fans on Thursday. He came out to practice in high spirits and is looking as good as ever.
When asked for an assessment of his fitness, he told reporters: “I feel fabulous, thanks for asking.”
Kittle’s ‘soreness’ surprised Shanahan
Telling reporters why he kept Kittle on the sidelines the previous day, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said: “The soreness did surprise me.” That’s why I didn’t bring it up before the practice [on Wednesday].
“We knew he had some wear and tear from the game (last Sunday). But it was a little sorer than we thought before practice, so that’s why we held him out.”
Shanahan was confident, however, there would be no further team surprises. When asked if he had any concerns about his star tight ends ankle he said: “No, I have not.”
Kittle started in 14 of San Francisco’s 16 regular-season games this season. He missed two weeks in November with knee and ankle problems.