Kyle Shanahan confirms George Kittle has a torn Achilles; shuts the door on Fred Warner’s return

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The San Francisco 49ers targeted George Kittle on a six-yard pass with just over six minutes remaining in the second quarter. After Kittle was tackled, he immediately grabbed the back of his right ankle. It was a non-contact injury, which is genuinely the worst-case scenario.

Unsurprisingly, Kittle is not expected to return to the game. He was immediately ruled out. It’s officially an Achilles injury for Kittle, which was the fear. Jake Tonges will assume Kittle’s role. We know how the running game has struggled without Kittle. We will see how Kyle Shanahan attempts to replace Kittle—an absolutely brutal injury.

Safety Ji’Ayir Brown limped off the field and was questionable to return with a hamstring injury. Jason Pinnock went in for Brown initially, but rookie Marques Sigle replaced him on the next drive.

The 49ers have 74 games missed by their Week 1 starters, which is the third-most in the NFL.

Kyle’s update 5:42 p.m. PT: Shanahan said, “The trainers knew before the cart came out and got word to me in the headset. Yes, a torn Achilles.” That confirms what many already believed about George Kittle having a torn Achilles.

Safety Ji’Ayir Brown, who left with a hamstring injury, is a “long shot” to play next week, according to Shanahan. So, Marques Sigle is likely to get his second start of the season against the Seahawks. Sigle played about as well as you could expect for somebody coming in cold off the bench after not starting for nearly three months.

Shanahan all but closed the door on Fred Warner returning in the Divisional Round, saying the chances are “not very high.”