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SANTA CLARA — Five days before game day, George Kittle declared he will be on the field when the 49ers play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The All-Pro tight end missed San Francisco's Week 11 divisional loss to the Seattle Seahawks due to a hamstring injury, but he made it clear Wednesday that he can’t wait to get back on the field.
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“I will be playing on Sunday, very excited,” Kittle said. “Can’t pass up playing the Packers, so I will be out there for sure. I get to practice today, it will be very fun and exciting.”
Kittle shared that his current hamstring issue is completely different than the one that kept him off the field earlier this season in Week 3. He added that as much as he hates to miss games, he knew that sitting out of Sunday’s game against Seattle was better for his long-term availability.
“The hammy is a tough thing,” Kittle explained. “The last time I did a hammy was in my rookie season and they are just really finicky and it’s one of those things. You’ll be running a random route and all of a sudden you’ll pull it even more and it’s four to six weeks, and I’m on season-ending IR.
“So it’s something we wanted to have full confidence in and I did not have full confidence in it, so it was a pretty easy decision for us on game day.”
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Kittle explained that while he saw progress in his recovery throughout the week of preparation for Week 11, there also was some regression he felt on the Saturday prior. It was enough to make him question his ability to be productive on the field.
“Definitely got better throughout the week and then Saturday was a tough day,” Kittle said. “I thought I felt good Friday, Saturday I didn’t feel great, and then Sunday was not really good enough to go out there and push it. I don’t think I would have been my best self anyway.”
Now the tight end is looking ahead, happy to return to the field both for practice and eventually the game at historic Lambeau Field.
“Just thankful that I get to go out there and be with the boys today,” Kittle said. “I hate missing all those practices and not being able to be in the huddle and spread some positive vibes out there.”
The 49ers' offense will need Kittle's positive energy along with his blocking and receiving talents in Green Bay. They clearly were missed in Week 11.