Jake Tonges Camp Update — August 23: A 65-Yard Catch While Kittle Closes In
2026 NFL Season · Sunday, Aug 23
Tonges caught a sixty-five-yard touchdown from Purdy in Saturday's practice, his second first-team highlight in as many weeks. The same week, Schefter reported Kittle's rehab is ahead of schedule — the switch that sizes Tonges's season is starting to move against him.
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Jake Tonges caught a 65-yard touchdown from Brock Purdy in Saturday's practice, per David Bonilla at 49ers Webzone — his second week running as a Purdy highlight, after the layered joint-practice ball against Tennessee. That's the whole positive file for the week: no Tonges receiving line appeared in the accessed coverage of Thursday's game against the Chargers, where the tight end catch that made the recap was Luke Farrell's 13-yarder from Mac Jones, per Brooke Evans at 49ers.com.
The thing that actually sizes his season moved this week, and not in his favor. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that George Kittle's Wednesday surgeon checkup was encouraging and his Achilles rehab is ahead of schedule, giving him a legitimate chance at the September 10 opener in Melbourne — with Kittle telling reporters he's running at top speeds, per Angelina Martin at NBC Bay Area. Kittle still hasn't appeared in a team drill in any accessed coverage, so nothing is decided; but the arrow on the rehab now points toward early rather than late.
Back in June the preview sized Tonges's season as the difference between starter and backup belonging entirely to another man's tendon, and this week fed both sides — a first-team flash for him, the first encouraging rehab report for Kittle. What to watch: Kittle's roster designation at Sunday's cutdown — reserve list means at least four Tonges-led games, active roster means the margins — and whether Tonges gets a receiving line in Thursday's finale. We'll check after cut day.
_Data via nflverse._
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