49ers' injury woes don't let up as 1st drive vs. Jaguars claims hero tight end

It hasn't been four complete weeks, and the San Francisco 49ers have already become too good of friends with the injury bug.

Quarterback Brock Purdy and tight end George Kittle have highlighted the injury report through the early going, but one could make the argument their respective absences opened the door for backups like Mac Jones and Jake Tonges to step into featured positions.

Tonges, in particular, might have been directly responsible for ensuring the Niners' Week 1 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Unfortunately, with Kittle still out with a hamstring injury, Tonges ended up suffering what appeared to be a shoulder injury in San Francisco's Week 4 home showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Tonges' injury occurred on the 49ers' opening drive, reinforcing just how bad injuries have plagued head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad all season. The reserve tight end who turned into a Week 1 hero was in obvious pain down on the field and subsequently went into the locker room after getting hurt.

How do 49ers get by without Jake Tonges?

Kittle isn't expected back until his injured-reserve stint can come to a close, Week 5, which means any would-be Tonges absence puts pressure on fellow backup tight end Luke Farrell, who came over from the Jags last offseason via free agency.

Known as more of a blocking type, Farrell might not be a go-to pass-catching weapon in Tonges' absence, meaning Shanahan's offense might have to flow through other options such as fullback Kyle Juszczyk and running back Christian McCaffrey.

Juszczyk had been sitting in tight end meetings during training camp, so one might anticipate a greater tight end-type role from him for the rest of Week 4.

Currently, there's no official designation on Tonges, and it's possible he's able to return to action.

In the meantime, the Niners will try to manage without the seldom-discussed offensive piece as best as possible.

Editor's update: Tonges has since returned to the game, per NFL GSIS.