Why George Kittle is not playing vs Bears tonight. 49ers give latest injury update

George Kittle is inactive for the San Francisco 49ers' Sunday night game against the Chicago Bears

Published on: Dec 29, 2025, 05:43:18 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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George Kittle is inactive for the San Francisco 49ers' Sunday night game against the Chicago Bears. WR Ricky Pearsall, who was also listed as questionable all week, will suit up for the Week 17 matchup, Kyle Shanahan and co noted in its injury report.

George Kittle will not play against the Chicago Bears on Sunday (Getty Images via AFP)

Why George Kittle is out vs Bears

The tight end was considered "highly unlikely" to play, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. He is currently dealing with a sprained ankle that forced him out of action at the end of the 49ers' Week 16 contest against the Indianapolis Colts.

Kittle did not practice all week. In his absence, Jake Tonges will receive the majority of the workload. George Kittle had missed five games earlier this season with a hamstring issue. Tonges had stepped up then.

Speaking about Pearsall, Shanahan said: "He got through it. He was able to go some, as opposed to last week he wasn't able to go at all. I think it got better for him each day and hopefully it'll continue here over the next 48 hours."

Here are the 49ers inactives for Week 17 against the Bears

WR Jordan Watkins

DL Robert Beal Jr.

RB Isaac Guerendo

DL Kevin Givens

CB Renardo Green

LB Curtis Robinson

TE George Kittle

San Francisco 49ers depth chart

Offense

WR: Jauan Jennings (1st), Demarcus Robinson (2nd)

LT: Trent Williams (1st)

LG: Spencer Burford (1st), Connor Colby (2nd)

C: Jake Brendel (1st), Matt Hennessy (2nd)

RG: Dominick Puni (1st)

RT: Colton McKivitz (1st), Austen Pleasants (2nd)

TE: George Kittle (1st), Luke Farrell (2nd), Jake Tonges (3rd)

WR: Ricky Pearsall (1st), Kendrick Bourne (2nd), Skyy Moore (3rd), Jordan Watkins (4th)

RB: Christian McCaffrey (1st), Brian Robinson Jr. (2nd), Isaac Guerendo (3rd), Jordan James (4th)

FB: Kyle Juszczyk (1st)

QB: Brock Purdy (1st), Mac Jones (2nd)

Defense

LDE: Bryce Huff (1st), Clelin Ferrell (2nd), Robert Beal Jr. (3rd)

LDT: Kalia Davis (1st), Kevin Givens (2nd)

RDT: Jordan Elliott (1st), Alfred Collins (2nd), C.J. West (3rd)

RDE: Sam Okuayinonu (1st), Keion White (2nd)

SAM: Luke Gifford (1st), Garret Wallow (2nd)

MIKE: Tatum Bethune (1st), Curtis Robinson (2nd)

WILL: Dee Winters (1st), Nick Martin (2nd)

LCB: Renardo Green (1st), Chase Lucas (2nd)

RCB: Deommodore Lenoir (1st), Darrell Luter Jr. (2nd)

NB: Upton Stout (1st)

FS: Ji’Ayir Brown (1st), Marques Sigle (2nd), Siran Neal (3rd)

SS: Malik Mustapha (1st), Jason Pinnock (2nd)

Special Teams

P: Thomas Morstead (1st)

K: Eddy Piñeiro (1st)

H: Thomas Morstead (1st)

PR: Skyy Moore (1st), Jordan Watkins (2nd)

KOR: Skyy Moore (1st), Brian Robinson Jr. (2nd), Isaac Guerendo (3rd)

LS: Jon Weeks (1st)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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