The San Francisco 49ers are set to travel to Australia on Wednesday for their season opener against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 10 in Melbourne, and they will be bringing two of their biggest stars with them. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, tight end George Kittle and defensive end Nick Bosa will both make the trip with the team, pending final statuses for the game.

The news comes as a significant development for a 49ers squad that has been cautiously managing the recoveries of both players. Kittle, who tore his right Achilles tendon during San Francisco's Wild Card playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles in January, has been practicing and is 'trending in the right direction to play,' per Rapoport. The tight end was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Aug. 23 and has completed two positive days of practice ahead of the trip.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the situation with reporters earlier this week, providing insight into the team's approach. "We're going to get them out there in these three days and hope it goes well," he said on Aug. 31. "With three days before we go, we're balancing it out with both of them. We don't want them to go three days in a row, so we're going to do a little on some of these days and more on one."

Kittle's Remarkable Recovery

Kittle's potential availability for the season opener is nothing short of remarkable given the typical recovery timeline for a torn Achilles, which usually ranges from nine to 12 months. The eight-time Pro Bowler suffered the injury in the team's first-round playoff game against Philadelphia and has been on an accelerated path back ever since. He previously insisted he wouldn't miss much of the 2026 season, in part because the tear happened higher up in his leg, which promotes better blood flow and recovery.

Shanahan noted that the team has been managing both players' workloads carefully, particularly with the long trip to Australia. "Both of them are on a little different schedule with the three. It's a little different now. We usually have these three practices, then we get three days off, and then we kind of settle everything that bonus Monday of the week," he explained. "We already had our three days off because of our travel deal. And now we kind of have these three bonus practices."

Bosa's Setbacks and Progress

While Kittle's progress has been a positive storyline, Bosa's recovery has been less straightforward. The defensive end played just three games last season before tearing his ACL—his third such injury and second on his right knee. He has missed most of practice throughout the summer while dealing with tendinitis in his surgically repaired knee. Rapoport reported that Bosa, who has been 'ramping up with his knee,' will also make the trip to Australia.

General manager John Lynch expressed optimism about Bosa's status, saying, "Nick's pretty blessed with tremendous genes and was going along great. So, the intention when he came back was that he was right. When he upped the activity, he got sore. And so he backed off, and we put together a really good plan that we believe will have him ready for Australia."

Looking Ahead

Kittle's decision to travel is particularly noteworthy given his earlier comments that he would prefer to skip the trip if he couldn't play. Shanahan echoed that sentiment, saying, "I think if we didn't think he was going to play, though, and it was looking that way, I think it'd be much nicer to make that decision before we go instead of having to go through all that."

The 49ers will open their season against the Rams in a highly anticipated NFC West clash. While the team has enjoyed some promising signs from both players, the final decision on their game-day status remains uncertain. For now, the 49ers and their fans will take the positive news as they prepare for a long trip down under.