Who Should I Start? Stephen Carlson or Jake Tonges

Saturday, September 28, 9:17 PM

The Chicago Bears placed tight end Stephen Carlson (collarbone) on injured reserve Saturday ahead of their Week 4 home matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Carlson, who was just signed from the team's practice squad this past Tuesday, suffered a serious collarbone injury during Thursday's practice and will now miss at least the next four contests. The earliest he is eligible to return will be Nov. 3 -- Chicago's Week 9 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. It's a crushing blow for the 27-year-old who was slated for his first NFL action since his time back in 2020 with the Cleveland Browns. The Bears will roll out their usual three-man tight-end rotation, with Cole Kmet set to take the majority of the snaps and Gerald Everett and Marcedes Lewis working in behind him.

Saturday, October 11, 6:24 AM

San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges tied wide receiver Kendrick Bourne for a team-high 11 targets in Week 5. Tonges turned his looks into seven catches for 41 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco's 26-23 win over the Rams. The tight end was afforded extra opportunities with Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs) inactive due to injuries. In Week 6, Pearsall will again be out, and Jennings is listed as questionable on the 49ers' final injury report. Tonges hasn't been compiling much yardage while standing in for George Kittle (hamstring), but he has scored in three separate games. On Sunday, San Francisco will face the Buccaneers, who allowed two touchdowns each to Dallas Goedert and AJ Barner in their last two games. Tonges has high-end TE2 potential for the contest, so long as Mac Jones (knee, oblique) is able to suit up.