JT #88

Jake Tonges

Tight End · California

A former walk-on at Cal who went undrafted, Jake Tonges caught the game-winning touchdown that opened the 49ers' 2025 season.

Jake Tonges spent his first two pro seasons without a single catch, grinding through practice squads before finally sticking with San Francisco. In 2025 he turned that patience into a breakout year, stepping into a featured role and delivering one of the signature moments of the 49ers' season.

★ Game-winning touchdown catch to open the 2025 season vs. Seattle

★ Career-high 34 receptions and 5 touchdowns in 2025

★ Signed a two-year extension with the 49ers in March 2026

Path to the league

Tonges grew up in Los Gatos, California, about an hour from Levi's Stadium, and walked on at Cal without a scholarship. He redshirted his first year and finished his five seasons with the Golden Bears with 47 receptions for 620 yards and four touchdowns. He went undrafted in 2022 and signed with the Chicago Bears, who waived him the following year.

Career highlights

San Francisco picked him up off waivers in 2023 and kept him on the practice squad through most of 2024 without recording a stat. His patience paid off in 2025 when he earned a real role in the offense behind George Kittle, finally breaking through as a reliable second tight end.

2025 season recap

Tonges opened the season with a signature moment, hauling in the game-winning touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 to cap a 17-13 win. He went on to catch 34 passes for 293 yards and 5 touchdowns on the year while also grading among the better run-blocking tight ends in the league. San Francisco re-signed him to a two-year extension worth up to 8 million dollars in March 2026.