George Kittle looks like himself again in 49ers’ Week 4 win

George Kittle is starting to look like himself again.

The San Francisco 49ers tight end delivered another impressive performance in Sunday’s 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos, scoring a game-sealing 56-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to help San Francisco remain undefeated at 4-0.

Kittle finished the afternoon with four receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown on six targets. His biggest play came with just over two minutes remaining, when he caught a short screen from Brock Purdy, found open space and raced 56 yards to the end zone.

For Kittle, the play was particularly satisfying given everything it took to get back on the field.

“Anytime you see green grass, I think I ran the entire way with a smile on my face,” Kittle told reporters after the game.

GEORGE. KITTLE.

DENvsSF on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/fynYAzwRMn

— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026

More from 49ers TE George Kittle

The 32-year-old tight end is less than nine months removed from tearing his Achilles during San Francisco’s playoff win over Philadelphia in January.

George Kittle returned for the 49ers’ season opener in Australia and has steadily increased his production throughout the first four games.

He entered Week 4 with 12 receptions for 174 yards and three touchdowns. After Sunday’s performance, Kittle now has 16 receptions for 244 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 15.3 yards per reception.

His 56-yard touchdown against Denver is also his longest reception of the season.

Perhaps most encouraging was the speed Kittle displayed on the touchdown. He said he was hitting 20 miles per hour during training in July and felt confident in his acceleration by the second week of the season.

“I really, really felt that,” Kittle said. “Starting like week two and on, I had so much confidence in it.”

Kittle even admitted he checked his speed during the run to make sure he wasn’t pushing himself too far.

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 14: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates a first down against the Tennessee Titans during the third quarter at Levi’s Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

“I was like, ‘Okay, keep it in whatever gear this is, so you don’t hurt yourself,’” he said.

The 49ers will now take their 4-0 record on the road for a Week 5 NFC West matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Kittle is looking forward to returning to a stadium where he has enjoyed plenty of memorable—and hostile—experiences.

“I thrive on that,” Kittle said of playing in Seattle.

After an extraordinary recovery from an Achilles injury, George Kittle is proving once again that he can still be one of the NFL’s most dangerous offensive weapons.

More 49ers content from Sactown Sports

• ESPN’s Nick Wagoner: Brock Purdy is playing at an MVP level
• Is Brock Purdy A Top-Tier Quarterback?

Upcoming San Francisco 49ers 2026 Schedule

• Sunday, October 4th – vs. Denver Broncos – 1:25 pm PT
• Sunday, October 11th – @ Seattle Seahawks – 1:25 pm PT
• Monday, October 19th – vs. Washington Commanders – 5:15 pm PT
• Sunday, October 25th – @ Atlanta Falcons – 10:00 am PT

Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Related

49ers Ovecome Denver’s Stellar Defense, Improve to 4-0Jerry Reynolds: Why the Sacramento Kings could outperform low win projections49ers promote veteran WR Brandin Cooks to active rosterDoug Christie: Nothing I read about Ben Simmons was trueMark Schlereth: What the 49ers must do to beat DenverHigh School Showcase: McClatchy HC Quantrell Jackson Sr.