The San Francisco 49ers entered the 2025 season hot by winning their season opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The game ended in a close competition with a low-scoring match, where the 49ers claimed the victory by 17-13. But things did not turn out entirely in the 49ers’ favor. They will enter the next couple of weeks without their star tight end, George Kittle. Kittle sustained a hamstring injury during the game against the Seahawks and will be out for some time, which will certainly give the franchise a big blow. But Kyle Shanahan, being Kyle Shanahan, always figures out a way to lift the team this time, also.

When the team was struggling with Jake Moody‘s disastrous 2 failed kicks, he shifted from his usual approach of caution in fourth-and-short situations near the end zone and went for a conversion instead of a kick. This turned out to be beneficial for the team, which eventually led to their victory. That’s Kyle Shanahan for you! With respect to the tight end dilemma, Shanahan has a backup plan ready for the 49ers. He has a couple of options for the next few games. He is going to lean heavily on Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges in the coming weeks.

Farrell has a chance to justify why the team acquired him at a higher price in free agency and prioritized him. The 27-year-old four-year veteran with Jacksonville received a three-year contract with $11 million guaranteed and a maximum value of $20.25 million. Apart from him, the team might be willing to rely on Jake Tonges as well. Both of them performed exceptionally against the Seahawks. While Farrell made a crucial fourth-down catch that helped keep a 49ers drive alive, Tonges came up with the winning touchdown with just 1:34 left in the game.

Both tight ends will also be assisted by the 49ers’ offensive arsenal. With QB Brock Purdy and RB Christian McCaffrey, the team will aim to deliver a strong performance in high-stakes matches. It was Purdy who engineered the match-winning TD for Tonges during the match. He managed to throw 277 yards and bagged two touchdowns with his two interceptions. McCaffrey, who sustained a calf injury, did not show any reluctance towards his performance. He racked up 31 touches, the most since 2022 week 15, when he had 32 touches against the Seahawks. They complemented the team so well that it seemed as if Shanahan had it all planned from the beginning.

Apart from Kittle, star WR is likely to stay out for some time

Although the San Francisco 49ers entered the match against the Seahawks with full health, TE Kittle and wide receiver Jauan Jennings both went down and left the team shorthanded. Kittle suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter, while Jennings left the gridiron in the third quarter with shoulder pain. Neither of them returned for the play that made the 49ers fans a little worried.

While there is no update on Jennings, the news on Kittle is a little worrying and does not signal fortune. “TE George Kittle is out multiple weeks with a hamstring injury, while the team is doing a CT scan on Jauan Jennings to make sure his shoulder is OK,” NFL reporter Ian Rapoport wrote on X. Jonathan Jones has confirmed that Kittle has been placed on injury reserve, “The 49ers are placing All Pro TE George Kittle on the injured reserve due to hamstring injury suffered early in Sunday’s win in Seattle, source tells @NFLonCBS” which means Kittle will be out atleast for the next 4 games.

Now that Kittle is placed on the Injury reserve, he may be out for at least 4 weeks. While it is most likely to use Tonges and Farrell to fill the void of Kittle’s absence, WR Marques Valdes-Scantling, who was signed a few weeks ago, can be called up to replace Jennings.