49ers TE George Kittle Reveals He Played Through Injury Last Season

This is crazy.

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) looks on during warmups prior to an NFC Wild Card Round game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers’ 2025 season will be remembered for injuries on both sides of the ball.

It was a never-ending revolving door, and one player who was affected for much of the season was tight end George Kittle.

Kittle’s season began with a hamstring injury in Week 1, causing him to miss multiple games, marking the most significant injury setback of his career up to that point.

But he's now revealed he played through injuries later in the season.

George Kittle reveals he played despite being injured for multiple games

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) takes the field before the game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Kittle has now revealed on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast that he played multiple games with two torn ligaments.

He said he picked up the injury in Week 16 against the Indianapolis Colts and went on to play through it against the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks, while also seeing limited involvement against the Philadelphia Eagles before suffering an Achilles injury, which was the most serious of his career.

“My biggest thing on what I thought it was, when I played the Colts, I tore two ligaments in my ankle and then I hurt it again because I kept playing on it. I was very lopsided," he revealed.

"I was compensating really bad. So, I think that was a big part of it too because I was compensating for it the past 3 weeks on one ankle. All the weight was on my right side so I was basically running with all the weight on my right side. That would be my best guess.”

It has to be admired that Kittle was willing to play through injury during a crucial stretch of the season. However, the 49ers had already secured a playoff spot by that point after the Detroit Lions lost, meaning there was less pressure to rush him back.

Admittedly, while the No. 1 seed was still in play, it was a significant risk. Considering the 49ers had already been without Kittle for much of the first half of the season, pushing him to play through injury ultimately proved costly given the Achilles injury that followed.

Kittle continues to give plenty of reasons why he is a 49ers legend. His dedication, his love for the game, and his commitment to the team are why he deserves to spend his entire career with the franchise. Even if that same mentality has ultimately led to a significant setback.

Kudos, Kittle.