49ers' George Kittle, Joe Staley Out Sunday vs. Cardinals
Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed today during his presser that offensive tackle Joe Staley has been ruled out of Sunday's matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Tagging along with Staley is tight end George Kittle who has reportedly been ruled out via Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Kittle has been dealing with knee and ankle issues since the last time he faced the Cardinals in week nine. It was deemed as minor following that game, but the fact that he is still struggling to come back says otherwise. It was clear against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night that the 49ers were missing Kittle in both blocking and receiving. His loss for Sunday is a blow to the offense.
As for Staley, he suffered a fractured finger and had surgery today to repair it. He will be out, not only Sunday, but for the coming weeks. The injuries just continue to stack like a game of Jenga. The 49ers just can't catch a break with these injuries and it makes you wonder how they can keep succeeding in these tough positions.
Luckily when it comes to offensive tackle, the 49ers are strong there with Justin Skule set to fill in for Staley once again. As much as it stings to not have Kittle on Sunday, the 49ers are better off sitting him as a precaution.
The coming weeks for the 49ers are not going to be easy following week 11. They have matchups with the Packers, Ravens and Saints. Kittle's value in those games far supersedes his value against the Cardinals.
