Kittle tears Achilles in playoff win over Eagles
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle suffered a torn Achilles in Sunday's 23-19 wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Kittle was taken off on a cart during the second quarter and officially ruled out minutes later with an Achilles injury, which he sustained after making his only catch of the first half.
It appears that #49ers TE George Kittle just went down with a right Achilles injury.
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) January 11, 2026
You can see the reverberation. Being carted off: pic.twitter.com/s0bsBlNg4E
Kittle, 32, also battled injuries in the regular season, appearing in only 11 games. He finished the campaign with 57 catches for 628 yards and seven touchdowns en route to earning the seventh Pro Bowl selection of his career.
With Kittle sidelined, Jake Tonges will serve as the team's leading tight end. Demarcus Robinson and Christian McCaffrey stepped up as the Niners' top pass-catchers versus the Eagles. Robinson posted 111 yards and one touchdown on six receptions. McCaffrey had six grabs, 66 yards, and two TDs.
Injuries to skill-position players have been an issue for the 49ers all year. Second-year wideout Ricky Pearsall didn't face the Eagles due to ankle and knee injuries, while former All-Pro receiver Brandon Aiyuk missed the entire season while recovering from a torn ACL.
Defensively, San Francisco has been playing without defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner due to injuries.