Remember that gut-punch from the 2025 season opener? Yeah, that game-winning touchdown grab in Seattle by Jake Tonges, the one that broke our hearts against the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks? Well, that same 49ers tight end just inked an $8 million, two-year extension this offseason. It’s hard to stomach watching the guy who beat our beloved Emerald City squad get paid, but his journey from undrafted longshot to an $8 million contract is wild, even if we hate him for that one play.
The Undrafted Bro Who Became Our Nemesis
Tonges wasn’t a blue-chip prospect at all. He started as a walk-on at Cal, balancing football with an internship at Morgan Stanley, literally taking BART into the city for work. His NFL career kicked off as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears in 2022, just one of “10 or 15 guys” trying to stick around, as he put it. That first year is brutal, he said, and he got waived twice in his first 12 months. From 2023, he was grinding on the 49ers practice squad, then carved out a special teams role by 2024. Then came 2025, and All-Pro tight end George Kittle missed six regular season games and another in the playoffs. That opened the door, and Tonges walked right through it, racking up the first 34 catches and 293 yards of his career, spanning his four years in the league. Of course, the play we remember most, the one fans still ask him about today alongside fantasy football waiver wire tips or betting lines, was that game-winning touchdown grab in Seattle in the opener. He even caught an “ill-advised pass” from Brock Purdy for that winning score. Ugh, the memory still burns.
$8 Million Security and a Full-Circle Moment
Fast forward to this past Thursday, when the 49ers hosted the Titans for a preseason game. Tonges, who stands a solid 6-foot-4 and weighs 240 pounds, didn’t even suit up. What used to be his make-or-break audition, his sole focus for Augusts past just to put together some tape for other teams, is now a “full-circle moment” for him. He’s got job security, a house on lease for the next year. “It feels good having a little bit of security,” Tonges said. His place on that roster, even the depth chart, isn’t in question anymore. Meanwhile, Kittle is still rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon, with a goal of returning by Week 1. So, with Kittle out, Tonges might be seeing a lot of action early this season again, building on that 2025 campaign where he got some real playing time, even on a two-minute drill in preseason.
We’ve got to keep our eyes on this guy, Seattle. He already showed us exactly what he can do when the lights are bright in our own stadium, snatching victory from the jaws of what should have been an opening day win for our squad. Knowing he’s locked up for another two years means we’ll likely see more of him in big moments. Let’s hope our Seahawks can settle the score when we meet the 49ers next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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