49ers take star TE George Kittle off PUP list 10 days before leaving for Australia

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) and tight end George Kittle practiced together on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in El Segundo, Calif. The 49ers were preparing to depart for Australia on Sept. 2 to take on the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. Kittle had ruptured his right Achilles tendon on Jan. 11 during a playoff game at Philadelphia but had made a remarkable recovery, returning to practice just 10 days before the team's departure.

Kittle, a two-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, was a crucial part of the 49ers' offense as both a pass-catching threat and a blocker in the run game. He had 57 receptions for 628 yards and seven touchdowns last season. McCaffrey, who had been sidelined with tightness for the past two weeks, had played 1,010 offensive snaps in the 2024 regular season and playoffs, making him the second player in the past decade with at least 450 combined carries and catches.

Defensive end Nick Bosa was still absent due to soreness and tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee, which he sustained during Week 3 of the previous season. The 49ers remained optimistic that Bosa would be ready for Week 1.