George Kittle “in good shape” to play season opener

Tight end George Kittle traveled with the 49ers to Australia, which was a sign he would play in Thursday night’s season opener. It sounds like Kittle will play, but how much remains to be seen.

“It’s been pretty cool to see Kittle out there looking like himself, looking fresh,” offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “How that affects him on game day and what the workload is, that will be determined. But he looks good to me.

“He’s practicing full speed. He’s getting a ton of reps. So I feel like we’re in good shape.”

Kittle tore his right Achilles in a Jan. 11 playoff game against the Eagles. He underwent surgery three days later, with Rams team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache repairing Kittle’s Achilles.

Kittle made his seventh career Pro Bowl last season despite playing only 11 regular-season games due to hamstring and ankle injuries. He recorded 57 receptions for 628 yards and seven touchdowns.