The San Francisco 49ers are adding veteran tight end Jack Stoll to the practice squad after Jake Tonges suffered a significant knee injury in the Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
The move gives San Francisco another experienced blocking-oriented tight end as the team prepares for Week 2 against Miami. Tonges is expected to miss time with an MCL-related injury, while George Kittle is still being managed carefully after returning from an Achilles injury.
Why the 49ers moved quickly at tight end
Tonges was injured during San Francisco’s 27-7 victory over the Rams in Melbourne. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that the injury did not appear to be an ACL tear but involved the MCL and required further evaluation.
That immediately changed the depth picture behind Kittle. San Francisco entered the season already balancing Kittle’s workload after his accelerated return, and losing another tight end reduces the staff’s flexibility in heavier personnel packages.
FSN’s Week 1 recap of the 49ers’ statement win over the Rams showed how comfortably San Francisco controlled the opener. The Tonges injury was one of the few developments from that game that created a roster concern heading into the next week.
What Jack Stoll brings to San Francisco
Stoll enters as a veteran depth piece rather than a replacement for Kittle’s receiving role. His value has historically come from blocking, special teams and doing the less-visible work required in multi-tight-end formations.
That profile makes sense for a practice-squad addition. San Francisco can use the week to evaluate how quickly Stoll absorbs terminology and assignments without immediately committing an active-roster spot.
The 49ers have already used the practice squad to protect themselves at tight end this season. FSN previously covered Brayden Willis returning to the practice squad as Kittle pushed toward the opener. Adding Stoll gives the team another layer of insurance now that Tonges is unavailable.
Kittle’s workload makes the depth issue more important
Kittle played in Week 1, but San Francisco has reasons to remain deliberate with his snap count this early in the season. The 49ers do not want a short-term depth problem to force their All-Pro tight end into a workload that conflicts with the longer recovery plan.
That is where Stoll can become useful even without a large receiving role. If he can handle blocking assignments and special-teams responsibilities, the 49ers can preserve some of the personnel packages they prefer without asking Kittle to absorb every missing snap.
The move also matters because tight end depth affects more than the passing game. San Francisco uses formations and motion to create leverage in the run game, and having multiple trustworthy tight ends gives the offense more ways to disguise whether a snap is headed toward a run or pass concept.
What this could mean against Miami
San Francisco’s immediate question is whether Stoll is ready to be elevated for Week 2 or whether the team leans first on the tight ends already in the building. Practice participation and game-plan installation will determine how realistic an elevation becomes.
The 49ers have enough offensive talent to survive a temporary absence at backup tight end, but depth problems tend to become more noticeable when they force other players into expanded roles. Adding Stoll now gives the coaching staff another option before that pressure builds.
What to watch next
The next meaningful updates are Tonges’ official diagnosis and expected recovery timeline, Kittle’s practice workload, and whether Stoll is elevated from the practice squad for the Miami game.
If Tonges is sidelined for multiple weeks, Stoll could become more than a one-week insurance policy. For now, the signing is a practical response to an injury that narrowed one of San Francisco’s most useful personnel groups.
Sources
- Yahoo Sports / Niners Wire: 49ers sign Jack Stoll after Jake Tonges injury (September 16, 2026)
- 49ers Webzone: San Francisco signing veteran TE Jack Stoll to practice squad (September 16, 2026)
- 49ers Webzone: Team works out tight ends after Tonges knee injury (September 16, 2026)