NFL Insider says to expect this 49ers star to play Week 18 against Seattle

If you’re watching the Sunday Night Football matchup right now between the Chicago Bears and the San Francisco 49ers, you might have noticed that star tight end George Kittle isn’t partaking. A sprained ankle prevented him from practicing this last week, and it was no surprise when he was declared out for the game despite this game being very important for San Francisco.

Kittle, who is 32-years-old and had already missed five games in the 2025 season before tonight, plays a physical brand of football that does come with a fair few injuries and missed games. 127 career starts (regular season + postseason) across nine seasons has taken a significant toll on his body. But it sounds like that body will be healed enough for next week's game.

Per Jay Glazer, the 49ers expect George Kittle to play in the Week 18 game against the Seahawks. It’d be a big boost for a 49ers team that depends on Kittle heavily in both the passing game and as a run blocker, particularly with intended star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk having never actually taken the field for San Francisco this season.

In Aiyuk’s absence, the 49ers have pieced together an effective passing game by featuring running back Christian McCaffrey in the passing game as well as Kittle, with Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, and Ricky Pearsall filling the gaps. It has worked, and has even found modest success in games Kittle has missed, but the 49ers need Kittle for the postseason.

And they need him for this season finale against the Seahawks. Back in Week One, George Kittle got off to a big start, with four catches for 25 yards and an opening-drive touchdown early in the game before leaving with a hamstring injury. In his absence, the 49ers were able to win, but could only muster another ten points the rest of the way.

Seattle has the best run defense in the NFL by EPA, and in that Week One game held McCaffrey to 69 rushing yards on 3.1 yards a carry, so San Fran finding success by grinding it out on the ground seems unlikely. Kittle can open things up for the passing attack, as he has done so many times in his career against the Seahawks.

Kittle's scored a few in his time against Seattle. — George Kittle (85) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Seattle Seahawks. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

In fourteen games against Seattle, Kittle has 60 catches for 833 yards and 8 touchdowns. This includes his two games against them as a rookie, where he was only targeted four times total. In Week Six of 2024, his one full game against the Macdonald-coached Seahawks, he had five catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns.

The Seahawks are awaiting clarity on injuries on a couple of their own players. Rashid Shaheed is the big one, having suffered a concussion against Carolina earlier today, with an uphill battle to make it back for the 49ers matchup. Cody White also went down with a groin injury that looks as if it will take ‘some time’. Charles Cross and Coby Bryant remain in limbo.

And the 49ers have other issues to think about. Pro Bowl Tackle Trent Williams picked up a hamstring injury on the first snap of the game tonight, having left for the blue tent quickly and still not back in. His absence would loom large for a Niners offense that depends on getting dominant play from the left tackle spot.

But it sounds as if they will have Kittle, which will go a long way towards San Francisco trying to grab the top seed in the NFC, which they can only accomplish by winning tonight and next week against Seattle.

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