George Kittle, who has not played since breaking his foot in week 8, will be out on the field when the 49ers face the Cardinals on Sunday. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan made the announcement on Thursday afternoon.
Twice Pro Bowler and 2019 All-Pro, Kittle is struggling to play before the end of the 2020 season, despite the 49ers having already been eliminated from the playoffs dispute. The current NFC champions have been wiped out by injuries this season. Along with Kittle, the 49ers suffered significant injuries in quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, defensive ends Nick Bosa and Dee Ford, cornerback Richard Sherman, running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman, central Weston Richburg and tight end Jordan Reed, among others .
In terms of how impactful Kittle can be on Saturday, Shanahan said his tight end is great, but he will be on a pitch count. Shanahan added that Kittle is one of the healthiest players currently on the list, according to Omar Ruiz of the NFL Network. Kittle will face a secondary Cardinals who is led by Pro Bowl security guard Budda Baker (104 tackles, two interceptions) and eight times the Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson (three interceptions, eight defended passes).
Kittle will receive passes on Saturday from CJ Beathard, who will play in place of quarterback Nick Mullens. With only one quarterback in his active squad, the 49ers claimed Josh Rosen from the Buccaneers’ training squad earlier this week.
The 8-6 Cardinals are the 3.5-point favorites to beat the 5-8 49ers, according to William Hill Sportsbook, with the over / under set at 49 points. Both teams are 7-7 against the spread and 5-9 over / under this season. In his first fight in 2020, a late touchdown by Kyler Murray was the difference in Arizona’s 24-20 victory in Week 1. A victory on Sunday would give the Cardinals their tenth victory over the 49ers in the last 12 matches.