49ERS RULE OUT ALL-PRO KITTLE
The San Francisco 49ers will be without All-pro tight end George Kittle this week because of a sprained left knee.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday that Kittle won’t make the trip to face the New York Jets on Sunday after hurting his knee during a season-opening loss to Arizona.
Kittle played the second half of that game after being hit by Cardinals safety Budda Baker late in the second quarter while trying to catch an errant pass from Jimmy Garoppolo. But he was diagnosed with a sprained knee Monday and didn’t practice all week before being ruled out.
The Niners would have waited until Sunday to make that determination if they were at home but once they decided not to bring him on the trip, they ruled him out. Kittle will join them next week in West Virginia, where the team will spend the week before concluding an East Coast trip with a game against the Giants on Sept. 27.
“If he’s not going to play, it’s much better for him to leave him here for a couple of days and let him get his rehab and everything,”
Shanahan said. “We had to make that decision a little bit earlier today and that’ll help him and benefit him and he’ll meet us in West Virginia. Hopefully these two days of staying here will help him and hopefully he’ll be ready to go next week.”
The Niners (0-1) head into the game against the Jets without two of their most important players. Cornerback Richard Sherman was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week with a strained calf. He will be replaced by Ahkello Witherspoon, who cleared the concussion protocol.
Rams’ Woods gets paid
Receiver Robert Woods and the Rams agreed to a four-year contract extension worth up to $68 million. Woods’ extension includes a guaranteed $32 million, and the veteran receiver is now signed through the 2025 season.
Woods is the third major contributor to the Rams to agree to a contract extension in the past two weeks. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey got a five-year, $105 million extension last week, while Woods’ counterpart, fellow 1,100-yard receiver Cooper Kupp, got a three-year deal worth $48 million.
Woods is coming off two highly productive seasons for the Rams with 2,353 total yards receiving. He has been a major component of Los Angeles’ prolific offense under coach Sean Mcvay since they joined the franchise together in 2017.
Notable
Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah tore his left Achilles on Thursday night and is done for the season. Uzomah was the top returning tight end with 27 catches last season.
• Wide receiver Jamison Crowder has been ruled out for the Jets’ game Sunday because of a hamstring injury. In Crowder’s absence, Braxton Berrios is expected to take over the role as the primary slot receiver.
• Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay (hamstring) and Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark (groin)won’t be available for their NFC North matchup at Lambeau Field.
• Titans receiver A.J. Brown will miss Sunday’s home opener against the Jaguars with an injured knee. Coach Mike Vrabel said that rookie running back Darrynton Evans also will miss his second straight game with an injured hamstring.