The San Francisco 49ers ruled out George Kittle on gameday for their contest against the Chicago Bears. Nonetheless, Jake Tonges filled in admirably for Kittle, recording seven receptions for 60 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 42-38 win over the Bears on December 28 at Levi’s Stadium.
Tonges’ strong showing against his former team reinforced the 49ers’ choice to rest Kittle in Week 17, giving their star tight end extra time to recover from an ankle injury before the pivotal Week 18 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
After the Niners’ win, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy shared his thoughts on Tonges stepping up to fill Kittle’s shoes in this game against the Bears.
“He did great,” Purdy told postgame when talking about Tonges’ performance against the Bears. “When George goes down to be able to have a really good tight end step in and not only just know what he’s doing, but make plays and be a guy that the defense has to account for in a lot of situations.
“For us, that’s awesome. So for him to come in, ball out, hometown kid obviously, but more than anything, he’s a guy that has length, got great hands, and he’s a guy that I trust. So, it’s really cool to obviously have both those good tight ends like that.”
49ers’ Christian McCaffrey Doesn’t Hold Back on Jake Tonges
Moreover, Purdy wasn’t the only one to heap high praise on Tonges; Christian McCaffrey also didn’t hold back when asked about the 26-year-old’s performance against Chicago. In his postgame press conference with the media, McCaffrey made it clear how amazing it is to have someone like Tonges fill in for Kittle.
“I have the utmost respect for him,” McCaffrey said. “It’s been unbelievable what he’s done this whole year. The first thing I think about is George’s leadership. When you have one of the best tight ends to ever play in that room, those guys get to watch him every single day.
“He’s done such a good job when his number’s called, stepping up, making big plays for us. Proud of him, man. He’s a hell of a teammate, hell of a player. And, again, showed out again today.”
Bears’ Defense Couldn’t Stop 49ers’ Brock Purdy
The Bears’ defense couldn’t stop Purdy on “Sunday Night Football,” as the Niners’ star went 24-for-33 on his pass attempts for 303 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Purdy also tormented Chicago’s defense with his legs, recording six carries for 28 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
“They just still don’t have a pass rush,” Mannelly said on 670 The Score after the Bears’ loss on December 28. “Austin Booker got there once, batted a couple of balls, but that was at the line of scrimmage. And you’re right, when Trent Williams went out, I said, ‘Okay, I knew Brock Purdy could move. I didn’t know he could move that well.’
“I haven’t seen a whole bunch of Brock Purdy, but what a game for him. He had being able to move around the pocket and what he did early in the game as well. But I did. I thought those were huge advantages for this defense, and that’s why I’m disappointed.”
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