By late June 2026 — about 21 weeks after tearing his Achilles in the playoff win over Philadelphia — Kittle hit running speeds over 16 mph and resumed single-leg box jumps and cutting drills during his rehab (from the George Kittle page). He described himself as "a little bit ahead of schedule" and said trainers had to ask him to "simmer just a little bit" so he didn't overextend before training camp.
On FantasyPros, the crew noted Kittle will "probably miss some time at the start of the season after the Achilles tear," but Kittle's Week 1 goal remains alive given the faster-than-expected progress — especially since his tear was higher up on the tendon with better blood flow than a typical rupture.