George Kittle has tallied 396 yards and contributed five touchdowns in his eight appearances this 2025 season. While his solid numbers have helped the team win, the tight end still can’t believe how far he and the San Francisco 49ers have advanced this year given the extensive injuries they’ve faced.
“If people had said that you guys were going to be 9-4 into the bye and you weren’t going to have [Fred] Warner, [Nick] Bosa, Kittle was going to miss five weeks, and Brock [Purdy] was going to miss the first 6-7 weeks, I think a lot of people would have laughed,” Kittle said after the win against the Browns.
Kittle’s sentiment is understandable; with so many teammates injured, including himself, reaching this level of success wasn’t the expectation this year. However, it’s a challenge the 49ers have been managing for some time, and they have historically reached the playoffs despite similar issues.
Kyle Shanahan echoes Kittle’s relief
Following the Browns game, Kyle Shanahan also spoke about how tough the weeks have been leading up to the Bye Week and the chance to finally rest, especially with a 9-4 record that offers the team some peace of mind.
“I love where we’re at right now. I believe we’d be in the playoffs today if it started. It’s been a long wait for a bye week — I’ve never had one this late; I don’t know if anyone on our team has — but it’s finally here. Mentally and physically it’ll be awesome to rest, and then be able to come back from that with four games to play and a chance to get into the playoffs.”
The 49ers’ remaining schedule
The final four games of the regular season look quite manageable for the 49ers. After the bye week, they will play the Titans at home (one of their last two home games of the regular season). Their other remaining opponents are the Colts, Bears, and Seahawks.