The San Francisco 49ers were forced to play without George Kittle for two games this season, and it was clear they missed him.
It's unlikely that will be the case again in their most important game of the season, but there is still some concern as Kittle did not participate in San Francisco's Wednesday practice due to lingering ankle soreness stemming from Saturday's victory over the Vikings, NFL Network's Steve Wyche reported.
Wyche added he was told by a Niners spokesman that shortly before practice, it was determined Kittle would not go through the non-contact workout and the team will monitor Kittle through the week. However, his availability for the NFC championship Sunday is not in question.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 248 yards in a 27-24 loss to Seattle, the 49ers' first game without Kittle in 2019. Garoppolo didn't miss Kittle all that much in Week 11, throwing for 424 yards in a high-flying win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Kittle's value to the 49ers is still incredibly high, though, and his absence would be a major development in San Francisco's Sunday meeting with the Green Bay Packers for the NFC Championship. We'll see if he improves Thursday and Friday.
