He’ll have an opportunity as long as the 49ers continue to ease back Talanoa Hufanga
Kyle Shanahan shared a positive update about former All-Pro Safety Talanoa Hufanga and his recovery from an ACL injury that ended his 2023 season against Tampa Bay. Shanahan says Hufanga is targeting a return to action for the joint practices in Los Angeles against the New Orleans Saints ahead of their preseason matchup in the middle of August.
Shanahan was asked about the safety position and depth on Saturday and responded by saying:
“I feel great about our safeties right now. It’ll be real exciting to get Huff back, I think in a week or two. But I think him not being in there, G.O. (George Odum) has really taken advantage of his reps. I think he’s playing as good as he is played at the safety level. Ji’Ayir just getting that experience last year, it’s helped him out so much. We’ve got a number of young guys in here which are competing hard. And we do have some older vets here with a lot of knowledge who have played some football, guys like [S] Erik Harris and stuff like that. So we’ve got a good group. I don’t rule out anything as it goes. You never know how to play out. But I feel good about our group, what we got right now.”
Malik Mustapha has received rave reviews from training camp and considering his draft capital, can Mustapha hold off the former All-Pro with consistent play?
Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle alluded to Hufanga not being assured a starting spot upon his return.
Safety Talanoa Hufanga, a 24-year-old who earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2022, is coming off a torn ACL and isn’t assured of reclaiming his starting job. The cornerback position is also in flux, with starter Deommodore Lenoir facing a possible move to the slot, depending upon whether the 49ers can find a suitable replacement in free agency or the draft.
One safety spot seems locked down by Ji’Ayir Brown, but do the 49ers return to Hufanga if Mustapha has shown his value? Hufanga is up for a new deal next season, so it may be wise to see the safety return to action to gauge their level of interest.
The NFL is a cruel business. One season you are an All-Pro and two seasons later you’re fighting for a starting spot.
Ultimately, the 49ers have a good problem on their hands. You can never have too many good players or depth. Hufanga will first have to clear the health hurdle before regaining his spot. Either way, this is good news for the 49ers.