Yes, all signs point to George Kittle starting the 2026 season on the PUP list. He's recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in the playoffs, and while he's been aggressively pushing his rehab timeline, the 49ers have backup TEs Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell playing well — so there's no pressure to rush him back (from the George Kittle page).
The experts agree. FantasyPros notes he'll "miss some time at the start of the season after the Achilles tear" [], and Establish the Run went further, saying he'll be on the PUP list and "might not be back until week six, eight, ten" []. Fantasy Points echoed that he's "very likely not going to be on the field in a meaningful capacity" early on [].
Kyle Shanahan did say Kittle "has a chance" for a Week 1 return, but a PUP stint to start the year and a gradual ramp-up is the far more likely scenario — making him a risky top-10 TE pick in drafts.