In the current NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers face challenges due to injuries, notably to their star tight end George Kittle. Kittle’s hamstring injury will likely keep him sidelined for three to five weeks, as reported by NFL Media. During the first half of their Week 1 victory against the Seattle Seahawks, Kittle caught four passes for 25 yards, scoring a touchdown before needing to exit the game after sustaining the injury. An MRI is pending to assess the severity.

Kittle was not the only player facing injury, as quarterback Brock Purdy is also dealing with shoulder and toe injuries. The team’s coach, Kyle Shanahan, indicated that Purdy’s availability for the upcoming game against the New Orleans Saints will be confirmed later this week.

To fill Kittle’s role, backup Jake Tonges contributed significantly during the game, scoring a key touchdown late in the match. Previously, Tonges had not caught any regular-season passes. Last year, Kittle missed some games due to similar hamstring issues but still managed to be selected for the Pro Bowl for the fourth consecutive year.