49ers’ George Kittle ruled out with hamstring injury vs. Seahawks in season opener

Kittle exits early after second-quarter hamstring injury

The 49ers lost a central piece of their offense on Sunday when George Kittle suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter and was ruled out before halftime of San Francisco’s season-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks.

The injury happened on a second-and-22 run, with Kittle blocking downfield for Christian McCaffrey. After the play, TV cameras caught him signaling for a substitute. According to the Fox broadcast and reporters on site, including Cam Inman (Bay Area News Group) and Matt Lively (KPIX), Kittle slow-jogged to the sideline, sat briefly, then went into the blue medical tent as San Francisco punted and sent out the defense.

When the offense returned, Kittle reappeared without his helmet and in a cap—an unmistakable sign he was done for the day. The team made it official with roughly two minutes left in the first half.

Before leaving, Kittle had already made his mark. He caught four passes for 25 yards and a 5-yard touchdown that put the 49ers up 7–0, flashing the red-zone timing with Brock Purdy that has been a staple of Kyle Shanahan’s scheme. His early involvement suggested a heavy role in the game plan, both as a receiver and in the run game’s edge blocking.

The concern goes beyond Sunday. Kittle dealt with hamstring trouble last season and missed two games in 2024 with similar issues. Soft-tissue setbacks like these are notoriously tricky: even mild strains can linger or flare up if a player ramps back too quickly. Teams typically follow up with imaging early in the week and then adjust practice workloads day to day based on stiffness and strength testing.

What it means for San Francisco’s offense

Kittle isn’t just a safety valve for Purdy—he’s a formation shifter. With him on the field, San Francisco can disguise run and pass at a high level out of the same looks. Without him, the 49ers usually lean more on their receivers and on multipurpose fullback Kyle Juszczyk to bridge the gap in the middle of the field and in red-zone spacing.

Expect Shanahan to mix personnel differently if Kittle misses time. That can mean more three-receiver sets, motion to manufacture leverage in short areas, and a heavier dose of McCaffrey on angle routes and checkdowns. The backup tight ends will be asked to absorb snaps in blocking packages, but replicating Kittle’s all-around influence is a tall order.

Red-zone design changes too. Kittle’s knack for finding soft spots off play-action and option routes is a core feature of the 49ers’ scoring script. In his absence, looks may tilt toward jump balls and slants for Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, or quick-hitting inside runs that stress lighter defensive fronts.

As for timelines, hamstring strains run on a wide spectrum. A mild tweak can resolve in roughly a week, while more significant strains can cost multiple games. The 49ers typically wait for swelling to settle and for strength symmetry to return before green-lighting a return, and they’ve shown a willingness to prioritize long-term availability with stars, especially this early in the season.

Big picture, this is a reminder of the balance San Francisco has to strike: Kittle’s intensity and workload are part of what makes him elite, but they also add wear and tear. If he’s out, the offense can still function at a high level—Purdy has built strong timing with Aiyuk and Samuel, and McCaffrey changes math on every snap—but the margin for error tightens, particularly on third downs and in the red zone where Kittle’s trust factor is highest.

For now, the 49ers have the win, but they’ll hold their breath on the follow-up evaluation. The team is expected to update Kittle’s status in the coming days. Until then, practice reps will shift toward contingency packages, and Shanahan will keep the playbook flexible—ready for either a quick return or a short stint without one of his most important chess pieces.