SANTA CLARA — George Kittle and Fred Warner, the 49ers’ most celebrated captains, are both rehabilitating ankle injuries with their availabilities very much uncertain.
For Kittle, he’s battling a short recovery timeline to play Sunday night when the 49ers (11-4) host the Chicago Bears (11-4).
For Warner, he’s two months into an encouraging comeback from ankle surgery and is making the 49ers “re-examine” his potential for a late-playoff return.
General manager John Lynch updated each player’s health in his weekly segment Friday morning on KNBR. Here are Lynch’s comments:
On Fred Warner’s potential return for NFC Championship Game or Super Bowl:
“We’re really focused on the Bears right now. That’s because we need to continue to improve as a team and sharpen our edge as we get into these playoffs. Right now we’re playing for seeding, to try and make the path a little bit more favorable for us.
“What I can tell you is Fred has been working incredibly hard. He’s been attacking it every which way and he’s making really good progress.
“I’ve said this consistently: It would be well ahead of the original timeline that we were given but Fred has the ability to move the doctors, because they’re going to put objective measurements out there that, ‘If you can reach these, you can get there.’ And Fred has continually done that. It’s made a lot of people kind of re-examine, ‘OK, would this be possible?’ I think that’s a great thing.
“I’m watching him. I’ve consistently said I won’t put anything past him and it’s a thing that will remain to be seen. But I know he’s putting his heart and soul and incredible work ethic to work every single day in an effort to do that.
On George Kittle’s health and evaluating the risk for playoffs:
“That’s always a part of the equation with all our players, particularly with a player like George who’s so valuable to us.
“Of course you want George out there, and of course this is a huge game against the Bears.
“He had it stacked up against him in that it was a Monday night game on the Eastern side of our country, so you’re not flying back until 3:30 (a.m.). The clock is just shorter the amount of time you have to get back on the field. The things we have going for us is it wasn’t the dreaded high ankle sprain; it was the low ankle sprain.
“George is recovering really well. Is he going to get there? We don’t know. It’s one of those things he’ll take it right up (to kickoff). George is the type of player where you give him that latitude where, ‘We’ll give you all the way up to the game.’
“The other thing we feel real good about is we’re well equipped in the event we don’t have George. Will we be the same team? No, we’re different without George there. But Luke Farrell is a really good football player. We’ve seen what Jake Tonges can do when George is out. Brayden Willis would then be up.
“We’ll see where this thing goes. But George is doing everything he can, just like Fred, to try to be out there for this Bears game. That is one that will go right down to Sunday evening.”
Coach Kyle Shanahan will address the media late in the afternoon with an official injury report.
The Mercury News
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