RADIO
When will George Kittle return and play? Will George Kittle be back again this season? Read the latest George Kittle injury updates and return date for Week 6 (2025).
After another productive season in San Francisco, George Kittle was one of the first tight ends off the board in fantasy football drafts in 2025. With the 49ers losing wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (via trade to the Washington Commanders) and Brandon Aiyuk's (knee) return date uncertain, Kittle had a clear runway to take off as the team's primary receiver.
Kittle looked ready to fill that role in Week 1, catching four balls and a touchdown in less than one half of work. Unfortunately, a hamstring strain in the second quarter ended Kittle's day and landed him on injured reserve, where he has remained since.
When will Kittle return to action, and what is his fantasy football outlook when he does? Let's dive in.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) rankings
- Tight end (TE) rankings
- Quarterback (QB) rankings
- FLEX rankings
- Defense (D/ST) rankings
- Kicker (K) rankings
- Dynasty rankings
George Kittle Injury Update
Kittle's placement on injured reserve barred the tight end from eligibility for the next four games, making Week 6 the earliest he could possibly return. Kittle was seen running on the side during practices this week, but the team has yet to open his 21-day practice window, which would signal an imminent return.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have gone on record to say that Kittle will not be activated in time for San Francisco's Week 6 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both indicated that Kittle is on track to return for their matchup against the Falcons in Week 7.
John Lynch told @knbrmurph & @MarkusBoucher George Kittle has a "good chance" to return next week vs Atlanta but that the Niners want to make sure that he can be 100%. pic.twitter.com/FC33cmkOMX
— KNBR (@KNBR) October 9, 2025
Fantasy football managers should continue to monitor Kittle's status throughout this week and next.
George Kittle Fantasy Football Outlook
Kittle looked like Brock Purdy's (toe) preferred target out of the gate in Week 1. Before Kittle injured his hamstring in the second quarter, he was targeted on four of Purdy's first ten pass attempts. The tight end secured all four looks for 25 receiving yards and a touchdown.
After Kittle departed, Jake Tonges saw more involvement on offense. Tonges was on the receiving end of the go-ahead touchdown that ended up being the deciding points in the game against Seattle. Since then, he has maintained his role as the 49ers' primary receiving tight end, totaling 19 receptions for 166 yards and three touchdowns over San Francisco's first five games.
While his emergence as a pass-catcher has been a relief for the Niners' injury-riddled receiving corps, he should take a backseat to Kittle upon his return.
With wide receivers Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs) both ailing and opening Week 6 with DNPs, now would be the perfect time for Kittle to come back. Understandably, the team does not want to rush their star tight end back and risk reinjury. Once he is ready, Kittle should emerge as one of the team’s top targets, whether the team’s other receivers are healthy or not.
San Francisco’s quarterback situation may be of greater significance to Kittle’s prospects after he rejoins the team. Purdy has been hampered by turf toe, missing three games already, and his status for Week 6 is up in the air, though a stint on injured reserve is unlikely. Backup Mac Jones (knee, oblique) has played well in Purdy’s absence, but has been racking up injuries of his own in his three starts this season.
However, Jones is currently on track to suit up this weekend, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Should neither quarterback be available in the weeks ahead, third-stringer Adrian Martinez would take over under center. Martinez was first signed by the Lions in 2023 but has yet to take a regular-season snap in the NFL. If he is pushed into service, then Kittle’s outlook would be downgraded. Fantasy football managers waiting for Kittle’s next game should also have their fingers crossed for Purdy and Jones to get healthy as well.
Mac Jones (knee) listed as a limited participant today but doing plenty of throwing. He and Adrian Martinez are the only available QBs for the 49ers pic.twitter.com/mAT0CCaziK
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) October 8, 2025
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 6 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Kyle Pitts Sr., Tucker Kraft, Jake Tonges, AJ Barner, Evan Engram, Zach Ertz. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 6. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 6 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Kyle Pitts Sr., Tucker Kraft, Jake Tonges, AJ Barner, Evan Engram, Zach Ertz. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 6.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do, is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 6 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 6 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 6 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 6 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Kyle Pitts Sr., Tucker Kraft, Jake Tonges, AJ Barner, Evan Engram, Zach Ertz compared to others:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
