This past week, San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle was a co-host of the 2026 Tight End University (TEU), alongside Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen, in Nashville from June 22 through 25.
Nonetheless, a clip from the four-day event emerged with Kittle doing on-field drills. The Niners star is working his way back from the torn Achilles tendon that he suffered in the wild-card playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Despite the player making significant progress in his recovery, former 49ers safety Donte Whitner wasn’t a fan of Kittle doing on-field drills at TEU without clearance from the Niners’ medical staff.
“He’s limping out there when watching the videos with my athlete eyes,” Whitner said in a June 27 video from the “Grit Code Podcast.” “He does not really look good to me. If you look at other players commenting on that video, the guy is not 100 percent healthy.
“This is the first time I have ever seen an actual player who has not been cleared by the medical staff participate in football drills outside of the facility. He is dangling that Super Bowl, playing around with this Achilles right now.”
Last season, Kittle played 331 pass snaps for the Niners, leading to a 90.8 overall PFF grade. Moreover, the veteran recorded 57 receptions on 66 targets for 628 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Kittle also averaged 11.0 yards per reception, generated 259 yards after the catch, and registered two drops on the year.
49ers Can’t Risk George Kittle Having Any Setback
Moreover, Whitner believes the Niners can’t risk any setback in Kittle’s recovery, given how important the veteran tight end is to the team’s offense.
“Think about what George Kittle means to the 49ers offense,“ Whitner added. “Think about what he means to this team as its emotional leader. If Kittle hypothetically goes out there and hurts himself right now, the 49ers cannot and will not make it to the Super Bowl.
“The 49ers should call him immediately and tell him, ‘You had a couple of good days at tight end. Now you need to be a coach out there.‘ Under no circumstances should he get back out there, run routes or do anything football-related until he’s cleared by the medical staff. This is asinine. I’ve never seen this happen before, and they need to stop it before he really hurts their Super Bowl chances.”
George Kittle Gives Major Injury Update Ahead of 2026 Season
While speaking to the media on June 3, Kittle shared the latest on his injury, and his words sounded like those of someone optimistic about where he’s at in the process.
“I’m doing great today,“ Kittle told reporters. “Had a wonderful day. It’s a beautiful day. The boys are playing football. Personally, I’m doing awesome. My wife’s a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model. Good for me.
“And my Achilles is doing great. No setbacks in my recovery. Checking all the boxes, doing everything I’m supposed to do. My surgeon’s super happy. My physical therapist in LA, who works with him, is super happy. The Niners are happy. I’m happy.”
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