Niners Nation
49ers GM John Lynch says George Kittle will be game-time decision Sunday (paywall)
“Lynch said the short week — the 49ers arrived back from Indianapolis at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday — might make it tough for Kittle to get back on the field this weekend against the Chicago Bears. And he may want to make sure the ankle is fully healed for the postseason. But …
“The things we have going for us are it wasn’t the dreaded high-ankle sprain,” Lynch said on his weekly KNBR radio show. “It was the low-ankle sprain. George is recovering really well. Is he going to get there? We don’t know. George is the type of player where you probably give him that latitude, where hey, we’ll give you all the way up to the game.”
George Kittle misses third straight practice, status vs. Bears still in question
“Coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers expect to open the practice window for wide receiver Jacob Cowing next week. Cowing has spent the season on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury.”
49ers vs. Bears: The Standard’s 5 fast predictions
“Kawakami: 49ers 30, Bears 20. Purdy, McCaffrey, and Shanahan are on too much of a roll right now to predict anything less than four 49ers touchdowns. And everybody else in the organization can ride the momentum toward potentially earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC. I don’t know that the 49ers will get all the way there, but I don’t think this game will be the impediment. (Yes, my nine-game streak of correct predictions ended last week. Let’s see if I can get a one-game streak going.)“
Kyle Shanahan shares final updates ahead of 49ers-Bears Week 17 matchup
‘You mentioned how much the run game has improved. Is it fair to say that the offensive line has improved and there’s been a steady correlation there?
“I’d say that, but I’d also say I think our receivers have really improved, our run blocking, I think our tight ends have. I think we get better as coaches understanding what our group does best. But yeah, with the run game, the obvious things are always O-Line and running back, but I don’t believe in that at all. I think to have a really good running game it’s all 11 people. You also have to have a good scheme and you’ve got to stick with it And I think the guys have done that.”
John Lynch reveals how 49ers already are preparing for 2026 NFL season
“The 2026 NFL Draft is about four months out, but the 49ers scouts assigned with driving the information gathering process on prospects recently convened in the Bay Area for an important meeting.
“In terms of next year, our scouts were all in for the [Week 15 matchup vs. the Tennessee Titans], we bring them in once a year. And right after that, that following week is draft meetings. So we just had our college, what we call our ‘Winter Meetings’ and go through all...
