PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 11: San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle 85 is carted off the field during the NFL, American Football Herren, USA Wild Card game between the San Fransisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles on January 11th, 2026 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire NFL: JAN 11 NFC Wildcard 49ers at Eagles EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260111081
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 11: San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle 85 is carted off the field during the NFL, American Football Herren, USA Wild Card game between the San Fransisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles on January 11th, 2026 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire NFL: JAN 11 NFC Wildcard 49ers at Eagles EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260111081
Jan 12, 2026, 4:03 AM CUT
George Kittle Carted Off Mid Game After 49ers Star Suffers Horrific Injury
The San Francisco 49ers were caught up in a tough fight against the Philadelphia Eagles when their star tight end, George Kittle, was carted off the field in the second quarter.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that Kittle has hurt his Achilles and would be out for months. He sustained the injury after making a reception with less than six minutes left in the quarter.
Some reports claim that Kittle was injured because of unnecessary contact from the Eagles.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 11: San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle 85 is carted off the field during the NFL, American Football Herren, USA Wild Card game between the San Fransisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles on January 11th, 2026 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire NFL: JAN 11 NFC Wildcard 49ers at Eagles EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260111012
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 11: San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle 85 is carted off the field during the NFL, American Football Herren, USA Wild Card game between the San Fransisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles on January 11th, 2026 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire NFL: JAN 11 NFC Wildcard 49ers at Eagles EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260111012
Marcus Epps was seen garbing Kittle’s upper body, and he collapsed, clutching his ankles, just after making his six-yard, first catch in the game.
The Athletic’s Vic Tafur made two X posts on the development and wrote, “George Kittle with first catch, and he's banged up on play. Kittle grabbed his ankle after he went down. Here comes the cart.”
Despite the injury, he was seen in a jolly mood as Kittle waved at the fans and clapped while going off the field.
Kittle Has Been Injured When He Is Needed The Most
In the regular season, Kittle made 57 receptions, 69 receiving targets for 628 yards. The veteran executed seven touchdowns across 11 games. His season-best performance came against the Indianapolis Colts in the form of a 115-yard game accompanied by a touchdown.
The 84-yard game and touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams was also noteworthy.
He also recorded 33 long receptions. Earlier in the season, he had missed an entire month following a hamstring injury.
The 49ers are bound to feel his absence after qualifying to face the Seattle Seahawks, top of the NFC chart and the best team in the league right now. In their previous two faceoffs, both teams won a match-up each.
The 49ers won 17-13 in Week 1, and the Seahawks evened the upset by winning the Week 18 game 13-3. If the 49ers want to lift the Lombardi Trophy this year, they must strengthen themselves without Kittle.
Tight end Jake Tonges will replace him, while wide receivers Demarcus Robinson, Jauan Jennings, and running back Christian McCaffrey are now responsible for creating a reliable setup for Tonges. The coming match will be a difficult feat, but at least Kittle will be cheering for his teammates.
Written by
Akanksha Biradar
Edited by
Oajaswini Prabhu