SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- One day after losing linebacker Fred Warner to a season-ending right ankle dislocation, the San Francisco 49ers got some positive injury news Monday as coach Kyle Shanahan said tight end George Kittle will return to practice this week.
Kittle, who has been on injured reserve since Week 2 with a strained right hamstring, will open his 21-day practice window this week with a chance to play against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night.
Quarterback Brock Purdy (toe) and receiver Ricky Pearsall (right knee) also could get back in the practice mix this week, Shanahan said. Both will be evaluated Wednesday and then day-to-day from there.
Kittle injured the hamstring in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 7. He left that game with 10:06 left in the second quarter, hobbling off after running a deep route down Seattle's sideline on a play in which Purdy was sacked by Seahawks safety Julian Love. Kittle was soon ruled out for the game and placed on injured reserve that week.
The day after Kittle's injury, Shanahan announced that Purdy had injured his toe against Seattle. Purdy returned in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars but irritated the toe and has now missed the past two games, with a banged-up Mac Jones filling in.
Pearsall also suffered his injury against the Jaguars, landing hard on his right knee as he attempted a difficult catch down San Francisco's sideline. The Niners hoped Pearsall would return to practice last week but that didn't happen, leaving the team again keeping an eye on this week for a potential comeback.
As for Warner, Shanahan said he is scheduled to undergo ankle surgery Tuesday, with an eye toward getting him rehabilitating the injury and back in the mix for the offseason program in the spring.
