It is no secret that the San Francisco 49ers have been devastated by injuries to begin the 2020 NFL season. It appears they will now be without their best player heading into Week 3 against the New York Giants.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that Kittle will be ruled out for the end of the road trip in New York with multiple knee issues, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:
#49ers coach Kyle Shanahan declares TE George Kittle (bone bruise, MCL) out for Sunday. Not a surprise, with two injuries to the same knee it was always going to be difficult. Tho Kittle pushed…
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 25, 2020
Kittle had been sidelined against the New York Jets in Week 2 during San Francisco's first appearance at MetLife Stadium that saw a number of key players such as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and defensive end Nick Bosa suffer injuries. This has since spurred a number of his teammates to call out the quality of the turf. As a result, his ruling was somewhat expected given the team's recent injury bug and their desire to have the All-Pro avoid any more setbacks down the road.
To say that the 49ers' offense will be shorthanded against the Giants is clearly a huge understatement. Shanahan has already ruled out Garoppolo by announcing quarterback Nick Mullens as the starter in Week 3. Meanwhile, Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson Jr. are poised to take on increased roles in the backfield with Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman sidelined as well.
Having Kittle would have served as a stabilizing factor for this group given his integral role as both a safety net in the passing game and a tenacious blocker in the run game. Of course, it is for this reason that they must take a cautious approach with his recovery.
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