It may have been the most spectacular offensive play in a game full of them, and it didn’t even count.
It was second-and-goal from the 9-yard line Monday night and quarterback Brock Purdy rolled to his right and attempted to squeeze in a pass to tight end Jake Tonges, who had a sliver of space before he went out of bounds in the end zone.
Tonges caught the ball but it was ruled incomplete. Upon closer inspection, it appeared Tonges actually caught the ball and managed to drag both toes just before going out of bounds. The 49ers didn’t challenge the play, and it didn’t matter as Purdy hit Christian McCaffrey on the next snap with a 9-yard strike and his fifth touchdown pass in a 48-27 win over the Colts.
The problem, coach Kyle Shanahan said, was Purdy had gone to a quick count and he wound up not having enough time to challenge.
“They told me he scored so I’m sure Jake is upset with me, but it ended up all right anyway,” Shanahan said.
Depending on the ankle of tight end George Kittle, the 49ers may need Tonges to step up again. In the last two games, the 49ers (11-4) host the Chicago Bears (11-4) and then the Seattle Seahawks (12-3). They’re already in the playoffs, but two wins would put them as the No. 1 seed and earn a first-round bye.
You remember Tonges, the Los Gatos High and Cal product who filled in capably for Kittle when the 49ers’ Hall of Fame-bound tight end was lost to a torn hamstring in a 17-13 Week 1 win in Seattle.
If the 49ers win out, it will be Tonges’ 4-yard end zone snag against the Seahawks with 1:34 remaining that made a No. 1 seed possible. Tonges essentially stole the ball from Riq Woolen in the end zone.
“It seems like a long time ago,” Tonges said last week. “Almost last year. But it was a great way to start the season, start it off on a high note and wo knows, maybe we’ll get another one in the last game. A perfect bookend.”
Kittle was busy being checked out Tuesday to determine the severity of his ankle sprain and the club had no media availability on a player’s day off after getting back from Indianapolis at 4:30 a.m. He said in the post-game locker room it wasn’t a “high” ankle sprain, which typically takes three weeks to a month or more to heal.
“I feel I got hip-dropped, ankle got stuck in the grass, or turf, or cork turf . . . really weird field,” Kittle said. “Tried to tape it up. Went in in the third quarter, just got worse from there. If I can’t run very fast or plant, I think it’s better for other tight ends to go in there and make plays.”
Tonges is one of a handful of 49ers who have stepped in for stars, buying into the whole “next man up” mentality and keeping the 49ers ship afloat. In four games with Chicago in 2022 and 15 games with the 49ers last season, Tonges had not caught an NFL pass.
“When George went down in the first quarter versus Seattle, we had a big game plan for George and when Jake stepped in, we’d really never know how he’d react,” Shanahan said. “He did a hell of a job and it just picked up every week.”
Kittle went on injured reserve after being hurt early in the opener. He missed six games. During that span, Tonges caught 25 passes for 224 yards and four touchdowns, earning Purdy’s trust as well as backup Mac Jones.
Against Indianapolis, Tonges played 16 snaps — his most since Kittle’s return. He caught one pass for seven yards with his most important play a recovered fumble forced by Ji’Ayir Brown at the Colts’ 26-yard line that set up the 49ers’ second touchdown.
It’s one of a handful of instances, with Jones being example 1-A, of players who played key roles in putting the 49ers in position for a No. 1 seed and a home path to Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium.
When Kittle returned, Tonges receded into the background as primarily a special teams player. But the experience was invaluable for both his own psyche as well as the trust of the coaching staff should he be needed again.
“It gives me a lot confidence if that situation were to arise again,” said Tonges, who recovered a Colts’ fumble on a kickoff Monday night. “I feel I’d be more ready when I was initially when I got foisted in the fire a little bit. Any experience you can get, whether it’s playing a couple of games, I’ll stay ready until my number is called.”
The same goes for Marques Sigle, a rookie fifth-round draft pick who began the season as a starter and then gave way to Malik Mustapha. He’s a special teams staple.
Or linebacker Tatum Bethune, who came on for Fred Warner, got hurt and then gave way to Curtis Robinson.
Or wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who cashed in on a $500,000 bonus against the Colts for breaking 500 yards receiving after returning to the 49ers in early September with Brandon Aiyuk rehabbing a knee injury before going absent without leave.
Or Connor Colby, a seventh-round pick from Iowa who had six starts at left guard when Spencer Burford was injured in Week 2.
Colby played very well subbing for Burford as an injury replacement in New Orleans and later had his struggles, but believes the time he put in the bank is all worth it should he play again.
“I felt confident coming out in New Orleans,” Colby said. “You’ve got to go out there and do your job. Making my first start (against Arizona), I kind of had a setback there but you play through it. It’s great to have experience, whether you’re ready for it or not. It allows you to fall back on it and gives you some closure as to what’s going on with defenses around the league.”
Shanahan believes the playing time for Tonges and others pays huge dividends in terms of having quality depth.
“It’s huge,” Shanahan said. “You never know until guys get that time. I think our guys are confident, but I don’t think it’s ever really true confidence until you go through those experiences.”
SNAP JUDGEMENTS
A look at who played and how much in the 49ers’ win over the Indianapolis Colts:
66: Right guard Dominick Puni and left guard Spencer Burford played every snap. Burford has settled in nicely inside after starting the season as a swing tackle.
63: Trent Williams, who last played a full season without missing a game to injury in 2013, hasn’t missed one in 2025 and shot down any talk of retiring on the ESPN post-game set as 49ers’ fans chanted “one more year.”
Said the 37-year-old Williams: “I’m nowhere near done.”
60: Free safety Ji’Ayir Brown and cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. (playing for the injured Renardo Green) did not miss a defensive snap.
54: Jauan Jennings played 82 percent of the offensive snaps and caught five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown, his seventh in the last seven games.
48: Slot corner Upton Stout had six tackles and two passes defensed.
29: Demarcus Robinson had his long-awaited first touchdown with the 49ers, opening the scoring with a 22-yard reception from Brock Purdy.
20: Rookie defensive tackle C.J. West had his first career sack where he split two offensive linemen and brought down Philip Rivers for an 8-yard loss.
18: Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos came off injured reserve and saw his first action since Oct. 2 against the Rams.
10: Eric Kendricks made his 49ers debut at linebacker when Tatum Bethune departed with an injury. Bethune led the 49ers with nine tackles before leaving. He missed the three previous games with a high ankle sprain.
9: Thomas Morstead hasn’t punted since Nov 30. The 49ers have run 152 offensive plays since then. His nine snaps represent holding for Eddy Piñeiro.
3: Rookie running back Jordan James was in for the final series of kneel-downs along with quarterback Mac Jones, center Matt Hennessey, tackle Austen Pleasants and Colby.
The Mercury News
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