The San Francisco 49ers didn't get through their regular-season opening victory over the Los Angeles Rams unscathed, losing wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling to an ankle injury and tight end Jake Tonges to a knee issue, specifically an MCL sprain.
The Niners placed both Stribling and Tonges on injured reserve, although the latter required surgery, meaning Tonges will miss the rest of the season, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
While Stribling's injury is devastating, especially for his promising development, the loss of Tonges could ultimately create more problems if further injuries hit San Francisco's depth chart.
Sans Tonges and behind All-Pro George Kittle, the 49ers have a blocking specialist in Luke Farrell and the recent practice squad promotee, Brayden Willis. Jack Stoll and rookie Khalil Dinkins are also marinating on the practice squad.
It's not ideal, and one can easily see how another injury here could seriously dampen the Niners' offensive chances.
49ers' TE depth could be seriously tested after Jake Tonges injury
A major X-factor here is Kittle's health. Eight months removed from a serious Achilles tear last January in the playoffs, the fact Kittle made it back into action against L.A. is a near miracle.
At the same time, San Francisco has reasons to be worried about the veteran's health, especially now that he's on the wrong side of 30 years old and typically sees little limit on the number of offensive snaps he takes.
Last year, Tonges admirably filled in for Kittle when the latter missed time with a hamstring injury, but the 49ers won't have that same luxury now, should the All-Pro suffer an injury that parallels Tonges' absence.
Relying on Farrell on TE1 doesn't exactly seem plausible, and while the Niners could explore free-agent options and/or trades, it'd be nearly impossible to replicate a similar one-two punch that both Kittle and Tonges provide.
Stribling's absence, too, puts pressure on the receiving depth chart, but the rookie's role on offense is far less that in contrast to Kittle.
Putting things bluntly, San Francisco better hope Kittle stays fully healthy for 2026.
And that might be a tall order, given the fact he dealt with two significant injuries a season ago. Even if Kittle stays healthy, the 49ers' options to spell him on various snaps are going to be limited, too. It doesn't take much to see how the offense can unravel significantly if the depth gets tested any more.
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