The San Francisco 49ers’ season appeared to be on the brink when the team lost George Kittle in Week 1. It was yet another devastating injury, but the team uses Kittle in such a unique way that his particular injury was going to be very hard to replace.
The 49ers certainly did not replace Kittle, but the ascension of Jake Tonges is not going unnoticed.
San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges (88). / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Tonges was a UDFA who signed with the Chicago Bears in 2022. The Bears went through a regime change, and Tonges got lost in the shuffle. He caught on with San Francisco and stuck with their practice squad in 2023.
Tonges mainly played special teams in 2024 and was a roster bubble player this summer. Luke Farrell beat him out as the number two tight end, but the two tight ends have completely separate roles.
Farrell was signed to complement Kittle, not replace him. Tonges stepped in as the backup to Kittle. This has helped Farrell maintain his role, and while the offense is obviously not quite the same, it has been good enough to get to 4-1 without their star skill player.
Tonges is not the blocker that Kittle is, but there is a strong argument that no one in the NFL is. As a pass catcher, he has not set the world on fire, but he has been reliable and has made enough plays.
San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges (88). / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Tonges has 166 yards and three touchdowns. His yards are 12th amongst tight ends, and his touchdowns are tied for first at his position. All of his touchdowns have come in pretty big moments as well.
His versatility is what helps the most, though. He lines up out wide, in the slot, and motions around pre-snap to help identify coverages. In a pre-snap sense, he gives the 49ers everything they need from Kittle.
Tonges is going to be a free agent this offseason, and with the way that tight ends are desired around the NFL, you can assume he is making himself a hefty sum of money over this stretch. Reports are that Kittle is not quite ready to come back, so the team is going to lean on Tonges for a few more weeks.
This could be a great win-win, where San Francisco gets the best of Tonges in the short term, and in the long term, this stretch run gets him a life-changing pay day in free agency.
