Brutal Injury Update for 49ers George Kittle and Brock Purdy

The 49ers may have won their Week 1 matchup against the Seahawks 17-13 but the injuries their players suffered during the victory will have lasting impacts for the next few weeks.

Tight end George Kittle suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of Sunday’s NFC West battle, quarterback Brock Purdy injured his non-throwing shoulder and toe, and wide receiver Jauan Jennings injured his shoulder. The only positive news for those three players is that Jennings’ MRI came back clean, and the initial belief is the injury isn’t serious.

But the news for Purdy and Kittle is much more ominous. According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, the team’s star tight end will miss multiple weeks because of the hamstring injury, and Purdy may miss the team’s Week 2 matchup against the Saints. The coach added that the team will evaluate the quarterback in practice this week before determining his game status for Sunday.

For the time being, consider Purdy to be very questionable and Kittle to be ruled out (For Week 2 and possibly through Week 5) when the team releases its official injury report.

Fantasy Waiver Wire Options to Replace George Kittle

49ers @DignityHealth Injury Update: George Kittle (hamstring) is out for the rest of the game.
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 7, 2025

Kittle was a highly drafted option in fantasy this season and was typically the third tight end off the board behind Trey McBride and Brock Bowers. Fantasy Football players likely spent a third or early fourth round pick to get the 49ers star on their squad, so this early-season injury certainly stings! Luckily, there are a few emerging options at the tight end position that fantasy players can grab off the waiver wire.

Browns rookie Harold Fannin Jr. had a breakout performance in Week 1, catching seven passes for 63 yards, which amounted to 13.6 fantasy points. Fannin is available in 98% of fantasy football leagues on Yahoo and should be the top waiver wire pickup for any fantasy manager who is without Kittle for the next few weeks.

Another waiver wire option at tight end is New Orleans Saints’ Juwan Johnson, who is available in 99% of ESPN and Yahoo leagues. Johnson led all Saints players with eight receptions and 76 yards and was second behind Chris Olave with 11 targets. Unlike Fannin, who has to battle David Njoku for snaps at tight end, Johnson is the only viable pass-catching tight end on the Saints.

Fantasy Football Fallout if Brock Purdy is Out in Week 2

If Brock Purdy is ruled out in Week 2, Mac Jones would start under center for the 49ers. Jones is now in his fifth year and is capable of running Shanahan’s offense. But keep in mind, George Kittle is not going to play, and Jauan Jennings is borderline questionable for action.

That leaves Ricky Pearsall as the lone remaining starter in the passing attack. The other wide receiver backups for the 49ers include Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Russell Gage, and Kendrick Bourne. At tight end, Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges will take over for George Kittle. Luckily for Mac Jones (or Purdy if he plays), running back Christian McCaffrey is healthy and considered one of the best receiving backs in the NFL. So even without Kittle and possibly Purdy and Jennings, San Francisco’s offense isn’t a total lost cause for their matchup in Week 2.

We will continue to monitor Purdy’s practice status throughout the week and will have updated player rankings for all positions as we get close to Week 2 gameday.

More Fantasy Football Analysis for Week 2