Going into the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, the tight end fans were most worried about was George Kittle. He was playing in his first game since tearing his Achilles in January, and it was only natural to fear that he could injure himself further if he came back too soon.
The Niners wisely had Kittle on a snap count, and even if he clearly was a bit rusty and wasn’t the Kittle we’ve grown accustomed to, he didn’t seem to suffer any major injury or setback.
Second-string tight end Jake Tonges was not so lucky though.
He attempted to block Myles Garrett late in the first half and injured his leg in the process. Tonges had to go to the locker room, and head coach Kyle Shanahan after the game said it did not look good and had to do with his MCL in his knee.
There is no word yet on what the severity of the injury is, but if the No. 2 tight end has to miss a considerable amount of time, then the Niners need to immediately start thinking about backup options.
Let’s dive into a few who would make sense.
2 free agents 49ers can sign to fill in for injured Jake Tonges
Zach Ertz
I have been on the Zach Ertz train for a while now. I wrote several articles in the offseason about how he would be a good insurance option to have for Kittle, and Ertz recently worked out at Stanford to show everyone he can still play after coming off an ACL tear.
Signing Ertz could allow the Niners to take pressure off Kittle so he truly can ease his way back into things even after the Tonges injury. Ertz is a proven veteran and would make perfect sense for the Niners.
Ross Dwelley
San Francisco could also go the nostalgic route and bring back Ross Dwelley (again). He was a with the Niners from 2018 to 2023 and returned briefly in training camp and the preseason last year, but he got cut and didn’t make the squad.
Now, he's a free agent, and while he obviously wouldn’t be as strong an option as Ertz, Dwelley is familiar enough with the offense and is and a favorite of Kittle, so he could give San Francisco a little more depth.
Either way, if Tonges is out for an extended period of time, the Niners need to be proactive and add a tight end.
Ertz and Dwelley make the most sense, so don’t be surprised if they add one of them in the coming weeks.
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