49ers backup tight end Jake Tonges makes miracle catch to stun Seahawks in fourth quarter season opener

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy needed a touchdown late in the game against the Seattle Seahawks, and he trusted his tight end to make a play in the end zone.

No, it wasn’t the usual suspect, George Kittle, but Jake Tonges, who made the game-winning touchdown grab in a 17-13 win over the NFC West rival Seahawks to open the 2025 NFL season.

Kittle caught the 49ers’ first touchdown pass of the season from Purdy, but he left early with a hamstring injury. In turn, Tonges, who has played just 20 games since entering the league in 2022 with the Chicago Bears, had to step up for San Francisco.

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Jake Tonges #88 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks during the game at Lumen Field on Sept. 7, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Amanda Loman/Getty Images)

That moment came on third-and-3 from the Seahawks’ 4-yard line, as Purdy surveyed the end zone and couldn’t find a teammate with his team down three. Flushed to his right, Purdy threw up a prayer to Tonges in the back corner of the end zone with Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen draped on him.

Somehow, Tonges stepped in front of Woolen, leaped into the air and snagged the football for the game-winning score. It was Tonges’ third catch of the game, but the most important, as San Francisco came away with a key road victory.

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Kittle was seen throwing his hands in the air on the sideline to celebrate his fellow tight end’s pivotal catch.

The 49ers secured