49ers news: George Kittle could miss Week 3 with tightness in his hamstring

On Wednesday, the only player who wasn’t practicing was wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who we already knew would miss time with a calf strain. That changed Thursday for the San Francisco 49ers, as two of their top players were absent.

Cornerback Charvarius Ward did not practice due to a knee and hamstring injury. Ward has been excellent through two games, picking up where he left off after an All-Pro season in 2023. If he cannot go, that would mean Deommodore Lenoir and Isaac Yiadom start, but Renardo Green would see an uptick in snaps after only playing a few snaps in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Tight end George Kittle sat out with a hamstring injury. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Kittle has been experiencing tightness in his hamstring, jeopardizing his status for Sunday’s Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

Schefter tweeted that he anticipates Kittle being among the players that would miss Sunday’s game. Kyle Juszczyk has predominantly played tight end, but he’s interchangeable at fullback, and I’m not sure if Kyle Shanahan would want to make Juice the lone option at tight end. Eric Saubert is the other player who can fill in for Kittle.

The Niners have been bitten by the injury bug early in the year, seemingly every season, and 2024 is no different. Hopefully, Ward will be able to play. Regardless, these are two of the best players on the roster, and the 49ers need them to be 100 percent healthy. If they are not, missing a Week 3 game— even against a divisional opponent— is not the end of the world.