San Francisco turns to an underused tight end in its latest “90-in-90” look at the 49ers’ roster

The San Francisco 49ers’ offseason roster evaluation has reached its latest stop with an unexpected name: tight end Jake Tonges. In a “90-in-90” series that runs through the team’s 90 offseason players, the 49ers’ depth-chart long shot is presented as a specific example of how the offense found production in 2025 from places that did not look like primary targets at the start of the year.

The entry places Tonges in a broad storyline about opportunity and mismatch creation. It describes a third-year tight end who previously had zero catches in his career, then highlights a Week 1 play in which he caught what is characterized as the game-winning touchdown against Seattle. The framing matters for roster-building, because it suggests coaches believe there is more value to unlock beyond typical tight end usage patterns.

The same series installment also ties Tonges’ moment to other examples around the offense, pointing to Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson as players whose production stood out in specific matchups. Bourne is described as producing back-to-back games of 140-plus receiving yards, and Robinson is described as having a big wild-card performance against Philadelphia. In that context, Tonges is treated as part of a wider theme: the 49ers’ quarterback play has been able to reach different kinds of receivers, including role players.

For the tight end position, that type of usage carries roster implications. If Tonges can be trusted in high-leverage situations, even occasionally, the 49ers get an extra route runner on the field without telegraphing it. Tight ends also affect defensive coverage through blocking schemes, play-action and the ability to run from different alignments, and the series’ spotlight implies Tonges’ value goes beyond simple depth.

Still, this is a look from an ongoing editorial series rather than an official coaching report, so the operational details of Tonges’ role remain unclear. The piece emphasizes narrative and contribution, not snap counts, targets, or offseason plans. As training camp and preseason approach, the concrete question will be whether the coaching staff turns that isolated Week 1 success into a repeatable weekly target, or if Tonges remains primarily a situational option.

What to watch next is the way San Francisco mixes its tight end groups and how often Tonges sees routes in both early down and red zone concepts. If the 49ers’ offense continues to show the ability to generate from multiple directions, Tonges’ path could be less about becoming a full-time starter immediately and more about carving out specific packages where the mismatch is real.

For now, the “90-in-90” spotlight serves as a reminder that roster value in the NFL often arrives through small windows of reliability, especially for players outside the obvious star track. Tonges’ Week 1 touchdown, as described in the series, is the kind of moment that can change how a coaching staff evaluates a player’s ceiling for the rest of the roster cycle.

KeyFacts:

1) The 49ers’ offseason “90-in-90” series highlighted TE Jake Tonges as a player to watch within the team’s 90-man group.

2) The series describes Tonges as a third-year tight end who previously had zero career catches before a Week 1 game-winning touchdown against Seattle.

3) The same installment places Tonges within a broader offense theme of unexpected contributions, citing Kendrick Bourne’s back-to-back 140-plus receiving games and Demarcus Robinson’s wild-card production against Philadelphia.

4) The piece is presented as a roster-focused breakdown rather than an official team transaction or injury update.

whyItMatters:

1) If Tonges’ production is repeatable, San Francisco gains a deeper passing option that can complicate defensive matchups.

2) Tight end utilization can influence both protection schemes and route concepts, so even limited target reliability can change offensive game plans.

3) The spotlight reinforces the 49ers’ emphasis on finding value in non-obvious players, which can matter for durability across a long season and postseason run.

4) The tight end pecking order is one of the most fluid position groups in the NFL, so this kind of narrative can foreshadow a training-camp competition.

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