Tonges was one of three tight ends kept on the 49ers' active roster heading into Week 1 of the regular season.
San Francisco surprisingly kept the undrafted Tonges over 2023 third-round pick Cameron Latu when finalizing rosters earlier this week. The latter was picked up by Cleveland as an addition to its practice squad, while Tonges immediately becomes one of the primary backups to starter George Kittle after earning zero snaps in 2023 as a reserve. Now the question becomes how Tonges is deployed behind his superstar teammate -- in terms of playing time and targets -- compared to fellow backup Eric Saubert.
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49ers' Jake Tonges: Staying with 49ers
Rotowire
Tonges signed a reserve/future contract with the 49ers on Tuesday.
Tonges spent last season on San Francisco's practice squad and is now set to return to the team. The 24-year-old hasn't appeared in a regular-season game since 2022.
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Jake Tonges: Signs with 49ers' practice squad
Rotowire
Tonges was signed to the 49ers' practice squad Wednesday.
Tonges will head to San Francisco after he was waived from the Bears' injured reserve in August with an undisclosed injury. He has clearly left the injury in the past and he'll look to earn an elevation to the 49ers' active roster down the road.
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Jake Tonges: Trying out with Denver
Rotowire
Tonges (undisclosed) tried out with the Broncos on Tuesday, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.
After being waived from injured reserve by Chicago with an injury settlement back in August, Tonges now has a chance to catch on with a different team. Denver needs help in the pass-catching department with Jerry Jeudy (hamstring), Tim Patrick (Achilles), Greg Dulcich (hamstring) and Jalen Virgil (knee) all dealing with injuries.
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Jake Tonges: Removed from IR
Rotowire
Tonges (undisclosed) and the Bears reached an injury settlement Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Tonges landed on Chicago's injured reserve after going unclaimed off waivers. The injury settlment means he will now be free to find a new opportunity once he is back to full health. Had he not reached a settlement, his 2023 campaign would have come to a premature end.
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Bears' Jake Tonges: Moves to injured reserve
Rotowire
Tonges (undisclosed) cleared waivers and reverted to injured reserve Wednesday, per the NFL's official transaction log.
The tight end needs to come to an injury settlement with the Bears to play during the 2023 season. Tonges made the Week 1 roster a year ago, played in four games and did not catch a pass. The undrafted free agent was also waived last November and ended up on the practice squad.
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Jake Tonges: Let go by Bears
Rotowire
Tonges (undisclosed) was waived by Chicago with an injury designation Tuesday.
Tonges appeared in four contests with the team last season, seeing just one target, which he was not able to reel in. The 24-year-old was brought back on a reserve/future deal, but it now appears unlikely he'll be suiting up for the Bears this season. Assuming he can clear waivers he'll revert to IR and miss the 2023 season unless he reaches an injury settlement with the team.
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Jake Tonges: Gets waived by Bears
Rotowire
The Bears waived Tonges on Thursday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Tonges was dropped by the Bears after serving as a healthy scratch in each of the last two games. The tight end will now go through waivers, and if he's unclaimed, he'll become a free agent. Tonges' absence shouldn't affect Chicago's offense going forward.
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Bears' Jake Tonges: Won't suit up Sunday
Rotowire
Tonges (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's matchup against the Cowboys.
Tonges appeared in three of the first four games of the season, but despite being healthy, he hasn't see the field since Week 4. His next chance to suit up will come Nov. 6 against the Dolphins.
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Bears' Jake Tonges: Posts no stats
Rotowire
Tonges was targeted once in the Bears' 23-20 win over the Texans on Sunday.
With Ryan Griffin (Achilles) missing the matchup against Houston, Tonges had an increased role in the offense, but it didn't translate into any fantasy points. He'll likely retain a minor role in the offense if Griffin misses additional time.
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Bears' Jake Tonges: Earns roster spot
Rotowire
Tonges is one of two fullbacks on the Bears' 53-man roster, according to the team's official site.
Tonges projects to be the second-string fullback behind Khari Blasingame. He'll likely be used primarily as a blocker when the Bears use heavy personnel sets. It would seem improbable for him to handle as many as 15 carries on the season.
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Bears' Jake Tonges: Scores touchdown
Rotowire
Tonges caught a two-yard touchdown on his only target in the Bears' 27-11 preseason win over the Seahawks' on Thursday.
Tonges was used in the Bears' goal-line package with the second-string offense. He broke free at the goal line to catch the scoring pass from Trevor Siemian. He's competing for a roster spot, as it seems unlikely he'll move past Ryan Griffin and James O'Shaughnessy on the depth chart for the No. 3 tight end role.
