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5 surprising players who helped save the 49ers' season

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Dec 31, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers getting to play for a chance at the one seed despite how many injuries they have suffered is nothing short of amazing.

While Kyle Shanahan is getting a lot of the praise, and he should, the team also needed a few surprising contributions from depth pieces and players who may not have roles in the playoffs. Still, the 49ers would not be here without them.

Mac Jones

Mac Jones was regarded as a failure with the New England Patriots and then went 2-5 with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a backup quarterback. He was expected to be a low-end backup at best. Then, he went 5-3 with the 49ers, throwing 13 touchdowns to 6 interceptions, leading to the highest passer rating of his career. The 49ers would not be here if Jones did not play that well.

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Kendrick Bourne

Bourne was another player let go by New England, and he was with the Patriots as recently as August. Bourne did not have a huge year, but he had 142 yards in a win against the Los Angeles Rams. George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall were all banged up, and he delivered when they needed him the most. That is worthy of praise.

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Skyy Moore

The Chiefs were happy to get any sort of compensation for their failed second-round pick. He was not even in the return game for the Chiefs, and yet San Francisco saw him as a great fit. Even in the preseason, Moore had issues fielding punts, but he has turned into one of the best return options in the NFL, working both the punt and kick return units. His returns have led directly to two touchdowns in separate games.

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Jake Tonges

Tonges had zero catches entering the season. He was questionable to make the roster, and when George Kittle went down, there was a question as to whether that would even impact the playing time of Tonges. Since then, he has 34 catches for 293 yards, and the 49ers are 4-2 in games that Kittle missed. That is an impressive feat, thanks to Tonges.

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Austin Pleasants

The 49ers were 4-11 when Trent Williams missed games entering the season. They went 1-6 last season, as his injury derailed the offense. Williams started last week, but went out after one play. The 49ers proceeded to score 42 points and win the game. Pleasants was not perfect, but he held it down and replaced someone who was deemed irreplaceable.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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