How the 49ers plan to use Jake Tonges after George Kittle returns – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

With star tight end George Kittle on injured reserve, backup Jake Tonges filled in almost seamlessly.

As Kittle nears his highly anticipated return, coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if Tonges could continue to contribute.

“Yeah, definitely. Jake gave us a lot of confidence,” Shanahan told reporters Friday. “He came into that role out of nowhere against Seattle and finished the game that way, and then every week he found himself in a lot of situations that he had never been in before and I thought he rose to the occasion in every single one of them.”

Shortly after Kittle left San Francisco’s Week 1 game against the Seattle Seahawks, Tonges made his presence felt, putting himself on the map with the game-winning stellar touchdown reception.

San Francisco made 76.7 percent of its plays in formations with just one tight end, the 7^th-most in the NFL. On the other hand, the 49ers ran just 22.4 percent of their plays in games with two tight ends, ranking 25th.^th in the NFL.

Last season, an even higher number of games were played with just one tight end at 84.2 percent, 2^sd-the most in the NFL in 2024.

Given that Shanahan primarily opts for formations with a single tight end, one would assume that Tonges won’t get as many reps when Kittle returns. But Tonges’ toughness isn’t going unnoticed, and that could earn him a few snaps as Kittle returns.

“Some of the hits he took in a few of those games where I thought we lost him. It happened early, I think on the first drive against Jacksonville, and it happened later in the Rams game,” Shanahan noted. “I think he only missed a few plays…I was really impressed with Jake and that’s why he deserves a role in a lot of ways.

The third-year tight end from California recorded a career-high 7 receptions in a Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Rams, hauling in 41 yards including a receiving touchdown to kick off the scoring for the 49ers.

Entering the season, Tonges did not have a single career reception. Over five games played in 2025, he totaled 19 receptions on 27 targets including three touchdowns.

Despite being a relatively unknown backup heading into week one, Tonges has put himself on the radar and proven he can play if needed.

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