49ers' Jake Tonges: Involvement boosted in OT win

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Tonges secured seven of 11 targets for 41 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers' 26-23 overtime win over the Rams on Thursday night.

The third-year tight end was due for an elevated role with Jauan Jennings (ribs/ankle) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) joining Brandon Aiyuk (knee, reserve/PUP list) and George Kittle (hamstring, IR) on the sideline, and that came to fruition perhaps to an even greater degree than expected. Tonges finished tied with Kendrick Bourne for the team lead in targets, and he opened the scoring on the night with a six-yard touchdown grab to close out the opening possession of the contest. Kittle reportedly has a chance to return when first eligible in a Week 6 road matchup against the Buccaneers on Sunday, Oct. 12, but Tonges has proven capable of serving as an effective complementary pass-catching option with his work during his teammate's absence.