49ers' George Kittle returned to game vs. Cardinals with broken bone in ankle, per report
A high threshold for pain is a prerequisite to stay on the field in the NFL.
George Kittle has that and a whole lot more.
The San Francisco tight end broke a bone in his ankle during the first quarter of the 49ers' Oct. 31 victory over the Arizona Cardinals and returned to play the rest of the game, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Kittle, who missed the Niners' following two games while nursing the injury, is expected to return for a highly anticipated Sunday night matchup against the Green Bay Packers, ESPN reported, although he is not at full health. On top of the ankle ailment, he has been dealing with a knee injury.
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Kittle's toughness was on full display that Thursday night in Arizona, as the second-year pro out of Iowa finished with six catches, 79 receiving yards and a touchdown, his second of the season.
In his absence, the Niners dropped a thrilling Monday night game against the Seattle Seahawks. The ESPN broadcast showed an at-times distressed, other-times pumped-up Kittle throughout the contest and noted how badly it appeared he wanted to be on the field.
Missing time has not sat well with Kittle, who is officially listed as questionable heading into Sunday, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters this week.
"This week, I think if it was a normal person, I'd probably make him doubtful, but Kittle's different than most people," Shanahan said. "And, as I said, he won't allow me to rule him out too early because he keeps telling me he's going to surprise me by game day. We've got a little bit more time this week and he's a little bit ahead."