George Kittle Feels 'Fantastic,' Expects to Play for 49ers vs. Patriots amid Injury

After missing the San Francisco 49ers' Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, star tight end George Kittle could be back on the field in Week 4.

Per ESPN's Nick Wagoner, Kittle practiced on Thursday and is "headed toward" playing on Sunday against the New England Patriots.

"I'm very excited to play football," Kittle said. "I think there have been some circumstances that have happened this year, so we're just trying to cover our bases and be as honest as possible. But no, I am feeling fantastic."

Kittle was added to the injury report last week after missing practice on Thursday while dealing with hamstring soreness. According to Wagoner, Kittle said he had lower-body cramps for the "entire" second half of Week 2 and was "really sore" early last week. An MRI later revealed Kittle had a grade 1 hamstring strain.

Through two games, Kittle has recorded 11 receptions for 116 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Along with Kittle, the Niners were also without star receiver Deebo Samuel last week as he was dealing with a calf injury. Samuel also practiced on Thursday and was listed on the injury report as a limited participant, like Kittle.

Wagoner noted that Samuel's status for Sunday was not clear yet, but head coach Kyle Shanahan previously said that he would be out "a couple weeks."

The defending NFC champs have struggled through the first three weeks of the season, winning their first game of the year against the New York Jets before dropping games against the Minnesota Vikings and the Rams.

Injuries have been a leading cause in the Niners struggles. While Kittle and Samuel have each just missed one game, star running back Christian McCaffrey has yet to play this season and is currently on injured reserve.

San Francisco won't be 100 percent healthy against the Patriots, but potentially having Kittle back on the field would be a major boost.