The Athletic’s Matt Barrows said he is “sure” 49ers TE George Kittle (Achilles) “won’t be on the field for his usual 95 percent of the offensive snaps” in Week 1 against the Rams.

03 September 2026

While Barrows’ statement is agreeable, it leaves a lot of room for interpretation. The 32-year-old tight end is returning from an Achilles tendon rupture and was a close call to even make the trip to Australia, so a snap count of sorts makes sense. For fantasy managers who can afford to take a wait-and-see approach, it might be worthwhile. He has reportedly had a great recovery and his resumé is as good as it gets at the tight end position. He will likely be ranked as a low-end TE1 by default in Week 1 against the Rams.