# Will Kittle be ready for the Australia opener after his Achilles injury?

Great question — Kittle's status for the Australia opener (Week 1 vs. the Rams in Melbourne) is one of the biggest storylines of 49ers training camp. Here's the short version:

**He *could* play, but it's far from certain.** Kittle tore his Achilles on Jan 11 in the playoffs, and by late June he was already running over 16 mph and doing single-leg box jumps and cutting drills, calling himself "a little bit ahead of schedule" (from the George Kittle page). Kyle Shanahan said in April that Kittle "has a chance" for Week 1.

But the wiki notes that the 49ers are unlikely to rush him — backup TEs Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell have performed well, and Kittle is expected by some analysts to begin on the PUP list and ease back in gradually. The 15-hour flight to Melbourne and a quick turnaround add another wrinkle, making early-week availability a possible game-time decision.

The expert consensus is cautiously optimistic but skeptical about early-season effectiveness:

- **Underdog's Josh & Hayden**: "George Kittle is expected to be back there for Week 1, but we're talking about an older tight end coming off a torn Achilles" — they expect a slow start. [hear the clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6ZyxP0Nsyg&t=2388s)
- **FantasyPros**: "Kittle is probably going to miss some time at the start of the season after the Achilles tear." [hear the clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyIzpWuwzrs&t=2021s)
- **Mayo Media Network**: Noted rumors are "starting to float around that he might be ready for Week 1," but uncertainty remains. [hear the clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWW6oLzYPpE&t=604s)

**Bottom line:** He's aiming for the Australia game and is ahead of schedule, but most analysts expect him to either miss Week 1 or play a limited/snap-count role. He's currently going as TE9–TE14 in drafts, with Justin Boone suggesting you grab Jake Tonges as a handcuff for the first month.

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Answered 2026-06-27 by ChatFFB — fantasy football answers from a live news wiki.
Source: https://chatffb.com/ask/will-kittle-be-ready-for-the-australia-opener-after-his-achilles-injur