ESPN’s Nick Wagoner believes “it’s reasonable” to think George Kittle (Achilles) could return in Week 5 “or so.”

22 February 2026

Wagoner’s long piece on Kittle’s injury is rooted in the idea that Kittle’s Achilles tear was “clean” and “happened high up by his soleus,” meaning the blood flow wasn’t as poor as it could be during the recovery. Kittle did not entirely rule out the idea of being ready for Week 1. We’d be surprised if a tight end entering his age-33 season was ready for Week 1, but we’ve learned not to count out any wild physical feats from Kittle. This timeline makes him a little more interesting in 2026 best ball, at the very least.