George Kittle hoped to be back in two weeks but 49ers want to do what is best for their tight end

It takes a lot to get George Kittle off the football field. When he has to be sidelined, it is even more challenging to keep him off.

The San Francisco 49ers will be without their All-Pro tight end and best player for what will likely be the remainder of the season. Kittle is headed to injured reserve, but the explosive offensive star had initially hoped to return in less time than the eight-week estimate from team doctors.

Much less.

That's because George Kittle is George Kittle.

"I think they told me eight weeks," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Tuesday. "Kittle says two, but that's how he rolls. That's why he'll go on IR, and if it's better than what they're saying, then he'll have a chance to come back this year. But eight weeks is eight weeks."

Shanahan was asked about the details of Kittle's injury. As the coach typically reminds reporters, he is not a doctor. He only knows what his medical personnel and training staff tell him.

"I know it's something in his foot," Shanahan explained. "It didn't show up on their X-rays, but on the MRIs or CT scans, something with a better resolution, it showed. It happened on that one play."

That play being Kittle's last in Sunday's game — a 25-yard reception from quarterback Nick Mullens in the fourth quarter.

It's likely — especially if the 49ers fail to make the playoffs — that fans won't see Kittle again until next season. Of course, with Kittle, you never know. He always tends to fight his way back onto the field.