According to the report this appears to be a precautionary measure to fortify Kittle’s health for the remainder of the season. The move will keep Kittle on the sidelines for at least three weeks with a potential return slated for Week 9’s NFC West clash with the Cardinals.

On the field, Kittle’s impact cannot be replaced, but in fantasy expect Ross Dwelley to become a legitimate streaming candidate at tight end. Deebo Samuel should see his floor rise based on increased opportunity, while Brandon Aiyuk could be the biggest beneficiary of Kittle’s absence.

49ers TE George Kittle (calf) is doubtful for Week 5 at Arizona.

Kittle's expected absence is a big loss with Trey Lance making his first career start. Ross Dwelley would start in Kittle's place.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle missed Thursday's practice session with a calf injury.

Kittle missed two practices to start last week but was able to practice on Friday and suit up for Sunday, so the expectation is that he will follow the same routine here. It is always concerning when a player misses back-to-back practices, but as we have seen with other top players, Kittle can be ready to roll with just one practice session under his belt. Fantasy managers will want to monitor this situation closely as he will likely be receiving a questionable tag on Friday's final injury report.

49ers TE George Kittle (calf) and Elijah Mitchell (shoulder) are questionable for Week 4 against the Seattle Seahawks according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Both players were active on Friday if not practicing. It is safe to say both are capital 'Q' questionable for Week 4. Ross Dwelley would start if Kittle were inactive.

San Francisco 49ers superstar tight end George Kittle will be active for Week 16's contest against the Arizona Cardinals.

Kittle has been sidelined since Week 8 with the foot injury but is set to provide a major boost to fantasy managers who decided to stash him on IR. Our fifth ranked tight end for Week 16, Kittle may see his snaps slightly scaled back but should remain a focal point of the offense. Kittle was the number two tight end when healthy, pacing the position with 24.7% of his team's air yards and ranking second with a stellar 25.7% target share.

Tight end George Kittle is on pace to play Saturday when the 49ers, despite being eliminated from playoff contention, play the host Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.

Kittle has been out since sustaining a Nov. 1 foot fracture in Seattle.

The story asks why play Kittle with the 49ers eliminated from the playoffs, HC Kyle Shanahan responded: “If he’s healthy I don’t see the reason why not to. Same with every other player on our roster,” Shanahan said. “We’d never ask him to play injured. Most of the soreness is going away. We’ll definitely test it again. If he’s 100 percent healthy, how do you sit one guy and look in the eye of everyone else on the team? There’s a respect level players have toward each other.” If Kittle is on your wire, he's a must-add for your fantasy finals or any kind of playoff game that can win you money.

The 49ers designated tight end George Kittle to return from injured reserve on Wednesday as he recovers from a broken foot.

The designation opens up a three-week window for Kittle to return to practice. We will have to see if Kittle actually returns to practice this week, but he would add an interesting element to the 49ers' passing game if he should return before the fantasy season is concluded. Monitor the practice reports out of San Francisco for Kittle's status.

Kyle Shanahan was asked about the prospect of getting George Kittle and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo back into the lineup. Garoppolo suffered a high-ankle sprain in the team’s November 1 loss to the Seahawks, which was the same day that Kittle was injured and Shanahan suggested both players need more time before they can think about activating them from injured reserve.

“Those guys are working their tails off right now,” Shanahan said, via Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. “But they’re still part of the rehab, just trying to get back and be a part of this, but it’s not anytime soon right now.”

Kittle said last week that he expects to return from a broken bone in his foot “sooner than later,” according to the story, which caused a bit of a buzz and likely had fantasy owners scrambling to pick up Kittle off the wire and stash him on IR. While anything can happen, those hopes seem to be squashed based on this story. Still, if you can afford to stash Kittle on IR as you head into the fantasy playoffs, it may not be a terrible idea. However roster sports are extra valuable right now.

The 49ers have been without start tight end George Kittle and starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for the last month, but there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.

“I’m holding out hope for Jimmy for the last couple of weeks,” San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said, via Cam Inman of The Mercury News. “Same with Kittle. I think they’re in a similar boat, but that I mean that’s not guaranteed.”

Related players: Nick Mullens, Jordan Reed

Kittle is a name to pay attention to especially. If he's popped up on your waiver wire, you may want to take a shot on picking up a potential stud if you're planning a deep playoff run. Kittle can be stashed on IR until the timeline becomes more clear. If the 9ers are able to make the playoffs, it seems like both players may have a shot to be back by then.