Bear Digest

Former Bears player could have huge role Sunday due to 49ers' injury

A discarded former Bears pass catcher could wind up in a critical role within the San Francisco offense when the teams play on Sunday Night Football.
Gene Chamberlain|
Former Bears tight end Jake Tonges is off to the races against the Jaguars earlier this season.
Former Bears tight end Jake Tonges is off to the races against the Jaguars earlier this season. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

None of the Bears' injured or ill players were upgraded on a projected injury report issued by the team on Christmas, when there was no actual practice.

Josh Blackwell did join the list of several Bears who would not have participated in practice due to illness, but the real focus on injuries remained on the 49ers and tight end George Kittle.

The 49ers listed their perennial All-Pro tight end as a non-participant for the second  straight day due to an ankle injury. If Kittle can't play, it's possible former Bears undrafted tight end Jake Tonges would have the chance to burn his former team. He is the 49ers tight end with the second-most receptions with 27 for 233 yards.

Tonges was waived by the Bears after one season, before the end of 2023 preseason, and then caught on with the 49ers. 

Playing without Kittle has never been an easy thing for San Francisco, although the 49ers have done better at it this season than in the past, and have had to do it plenty already in the first 16 weeks.

The 49ers are 3-2 without Kittle in the lineup this season. San Francisco's 2025 losses without Kittle came against Tampa Bay and Jacksonville.

When the Niners are without Kittle available, they have a 9-15 record (.375 winning percentage). When they've had him in the lineup throughout his career, they have a 72-51 (.585) mark.

In 2022, Kittle missed the season opener at Soldier Field and the Bears won 19-10 when Justin Fields was the quarterback and Matt Eberflus the head coach. Kittle did play in last year's 38-13 win by the 49ers at Santa Clara and made six receptions for 151 yards.

Tonges was a practice squad player who got into four games with only on target while with the Bears.

D'Marco Jackson, Nick McCloud and Devin Duvernay are the other Bears who were listed as out due to illness Thursday.  The Friday injury report will be more enlightening as designations are given out, and also because it's after a real practice. They did list Luther Burden as able to go through a limited practice Thursday for the second straight day.

The other significant 49ers injury change was defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos being upgraded to limited with a knee injury after he couldn't practice at all on Wednesday.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.