San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle did not practice this week as the team prepares for its Week 17 matchup against the Chicago Bears, leaving his status up in the air heading into Sunday. Despite the lack of on-field work, the 49ers remain optimistic that the All-Pro tight end could still suit up.

Kittle suffered an ankle sprain in Week 16 against the Indianapolis Colts, and both head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have reiterated that Kittle's availability will come down to a true game-time call.


According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, that remains unchanged.

"49ers star TE George Kittle, who hasn't practiced this week with an ankle sprain, will test out his ankle pregame to see if he can go, source said," Rapoport reported on social media. "While most players don't play if they don't practice all week, Kittle is intent on testing it out to see if he's got a shot."


The 49ers hoped to know more by Saturday, but the team appears willing to wait until pregame warmups to make a final decision.

"Yeah, we could take it all the way there," Shanahan said on Friday. "George kind of told me he'd have a much better idea tomorrow (Saturday), so hopefully we'll know by then."

Sunday's matchup carries major postseason implications for San Francisco. A victory over the Bears, followed by a Week 18 win against the Seattle Seahawks, would secure the NFC West title and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

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