San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle avoided a worst-case scenario after suffering an ankle injury Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Kittle sustained a mid-to-low ankle sprain rather than a high-ankle sprain, which significantly shortens the potential recovery timeline.
That diagnosis leaves open the possibility Kittle could be available for Sunday night's Week 17 matchup against the Chicago Bears, a game with major playoff implications for San Francisco.
Fowler expanded on the situation in a recent feature for ESPN.
"49ers tight end George Kittle is dealing with a 'mid-to-low ankle sprain' suffered Monday night in Indianapolis, per a source," Fowler wrote. "It's unclear yet what that means for Week 17, but I'm told he at least has a chance, depending on how the week goes."
Kittle will have a little extra time to test out his ankle as the 49ers don't play again until Sunday night. San Francisco is scheduled to hold its first practice of the week on Wednesday, though Kittle is unlikely to participate so soon after the injury.
"Kittle suspected he avoided a high-ankle sprain postgame and that is indeed the case, which is relatively good news," Fowler added. "The 49ers are accustomed to playing without Kittle, who missed five games early in the season with a hamstring issue, but it's all systems go for the playoff push now."
San Francisco enters Week 17 riding a five-game winning streak. Wins over the Bears and Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium to close the regular season would clinch the NFC West title and secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
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