Jake Tonges is getting called the San Francisco 49ers’ best-kept secret, and the timing fits. With organized team activities approaching, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report picked Tonges as the hidden piece most worth watching on a roster that is trying to stay sharp even if one of its top weapons is not ready when the 2026 NFL season opens.
Sobleski’s case starts with the contract. Tonges signed a new two-year, $8 million deal after a season that showed why the 49ers value him so much. The backup behind George Kittle played in every game last season, caught 34 passes for 293 yards and five touchdowns, and then added five catches on six targets for 59 receiving yards in the playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. That production helped convince Brock Purdy to trust him as a target, and it gave the offense a dependable option when the ball was spread around.
Kittle’s situation gives Tonges’ rise even more weight. The veteran tight end has played a full regular-season schedule only once in nine NFL seasons, and he is now rehabbing the Achilles injury he suffered during the playoffs. He remains optimistic about being ready for the start of the 2026 NFL season, but the 49ers cannot plan around certainty there, and Tonges has become the player who makes that uncertainty easier to absorb.
That is the heart of Sobleski’s evaluation. As he put it, Tonges is an important cog in the 49ers’ offense because of the new deal he signed, and he is a capable threat who has earned Purdy’s trust. The practical effect is obvious: San Francisco can keep operating at a high level even if Kittle is not ready in time. Tonges was not brought in to replace Kittle’s role outright, but he has done enough to make the offense sturdier than it would be otherwise.
Tonges entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2022, which makes his climb more striking. Last season was the first clear sign that he can handle real responsibility, not just spot work. The 49ers now have to balance hope for Kittle’s recovery with the reality that Tonges has already shown he can hold up if called on again. That is why this story matters now, before practices get deeper and the preseason questions start to sharpen.
