Unfortunately for the San Francisco 49ers, they already have experience knowing what it's like to lose star tight end George Kittle to a serious injury.
Way back in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, Kittle suffered a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve and cost him five games.
Now, in the wake of Kittle's horrendous Achilles tear in the Wild Card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Niners will have to experience his absence yet again.
And that means San Francisco will have to turn to a less-known name who already plugged the gap in Kittle's wake: Jake Tonges.
Jake Tonges has another golden opportunity in wake of George Kittle injury
Tonges, the fringe backup who was far from a sure thing to make the 53-man roster out of training camp, made an improbable impact late in that Week 1 game, catching a game-winning touchdown to give the 49ers a 1-0 start to the season.
From there, he regularly contributed in place of Kittle, ultimately finishing the season with 293 yards and five touchdowns on 34 receptions. While the undrafted 26 year old out of Cal comes nowhere close to matching Kittle's prowess, at least the 49ers can take some comfort knowing Tonges is about as serviceable a backup possible.
He'll now be asked to shoulder a massive load with a clear role for as long as the Niners remain in the postseason.
Ironically, Tonges' next major task will be against the very same team who helped him become a household name among San Francisco fans, Seattle, when the 49ers visit the Seahawks in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Granted, the Niners would prefer to have Kittle available over Tonges in any way imaginable, and there's no getting around the fact their roster is significantly worse without the All-Pro fan-favorite in the equation.
At least Tonges' prior history makes the blow a little easier to absorb, and the hope is he can take full advantage of it.