Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday that it's "not a sure thing" that Hufanga will return from a wrist injury during the 2024 season, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Hufanga played through knee and ankle injuries earlier in the regular season before suffering ligament damage in his right wrist in Week 5 against the Cardinals. He was placed on injured reserve Oct. 9, and while a four-game minimum stint would set his return for Nov. 10 against the Buccaneers, it appears the injury is severe enough for the 24-year-old safety to possibly be sidelined for the rest of the 2024 campaign. In Hufanga's absence, George Odum (knee) has provided valuable depth at safety behind starters Malik Mustapha and Ji'Ayir Brown.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Moves to IR
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Hufanga (wrist) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday
Hufanga suffered the injury in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals and reportedly suffered ligament damage with an estimated one-month recovery time. Considering the move to IR will guarantee a four-game absence, or about the time it'll take to recover, his move to IR makes sense. The USC product's absence will still be a blow to the 49ers' secondary, and they'll need to turn to George Odum again to handle the strong safety position.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Extended absence expected
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Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that Hufanga has ligament damage in his wrist and will miss about a month, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Hufanga suffered the injury in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals and logged a DNP on the team's practice estimate Monday. Considering he has about a four-week timeline to recover, the USC product will be a candidate for injured reserve. However, if the 49ers feel like he could return sooner, they'll likely avoid that route and not force him to miss the mandatory four games an IR stint brings.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Misses practice
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Hufanga (wrist) was a non-participant on Monday's practice estimate, Josh Dubow of The Associated Press reports.
Hufanga was unable to return to Sunday's game against the Cardinals after injuring his wrist. His estimated non-participation at practice is not a good sign for his status on a short week ahead of a Thursday night matchup against the Seahawks. George Odum would presumably next in line at strong safety should Hufanga be forced to sit out.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Set to suit up Sunday
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Hufanga (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's matchup with Arizona, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Hufanga missed Week 4 versus New England due to an ankle issue, but he'll be able to return one week later. The safety has played in just one game so far this season, notching seven tackles (four solo) in Week 3 against the Rams. Hufanga's return means Malik Mustapha likely will return to a rotational role after playing all 62 defensive snaps Week 4.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Won't play Sunday
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Hufanga (ankle) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Patriots, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Hufanga injured his ankle during Thursday's practice and will hit the sidelines again. He missed the first two games of the campaign while in the final stages of his recovery from a torn ACL last season. George Odum started those games in Hufanga's absence and should have a large role against New England.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Logs limited practice Friday
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Hufanga (knee) practiced in limited fashion Friday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
It was the second straight limited practice session for Hufanga, who underwent surgery after tearing his ACL last November. The 24-year-old didn't play in any exhibition contests and is far from certain to be ready to suit up for Monday's regular-season opener against the Jets. However, Hufanga's ability to log limited sessions in practice bodes well for the likelihood that he'll be able to get back into game action in the not-too-distant future.
Hufanga (knee) was a limited participant in practice Thursday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
The safety was activated from the active/PUP list Aug. 27. Hufanga tore his ACL in Week 11 of last season. While the 2022 All-Pro's status remains unclear for Week 1 against the Jets, he appears to be trending in the right direction.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Avoids starting the season PUP
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The 49ers activated Hufanga (knee) from the active/PUP list Tuesday.
Hufanga is recovering from a torn ACL that he sustained in Week 11 last year, and coach Kyle Shanahan said Sunday that he might be placed on injured reserve for the first four games of the 2024 campaign. While he avoided landing on this list as part of San Francisco's final 53-man roster moves, it's still unclear if the 2022 All-Pro will be available for the regular-season opener versus the Jets on Monday, Sept. 9. Hufanga recorded 52 tackles and three interceptions across 10 games last season. If he's ultimately sidelined Week 1, then either George Odum or rookie Malik Mustapha should step in as the 49ers' starting strong safety.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Missing practice with ACL injury
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Hufanga (ACL) is sitting out of practice ahead of the 49ers' preseason finale at Las Vegas, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
It was believed that Hufanga might be starting to work his way back into drills by now, but he apparently still has a ways to go. Until he can suit up again, George Odum could see more practice reps.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Expected back within two weeks
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San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Saturday that he expects Hufanga (knee) to be back "in the next week or two," David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.
Hufanga is in the final stages of his recovery from the torn ACL he suffered last November against Tampa Bay. Shanahan indicated Saturday that Hufanga may be able to return around the time the 49ers and Saints hold joint practices, which will take place in mid-August. Hufanga thus has a good chance of being ready to take on his starting safety role from the opening game of the regular season.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Placed on IR
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Hufanga (knee) was placed on the injured reserve list by the 49ers on Tuesday.
Hufanga suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's 27-14 win over the Buccaneers, so the move to IR comes as no surprise. The talented safety will now shift his focus to a return during the 2024 campaign, and in the meantime, Ji'Ayir Brown will take over in San Francisco's secondary.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Monday that Hufanga suffered a season-ending ACL tear to his right knee in Sunday's 27-14 win over the Buccaneers, Josh Dubow of the Associated Press reports.
Shanahan had already said after the game Sunday that Hufanga had likely suffered a torn ACL, and follow-up tests on the safety's knee quickly confirmed as much. The loss of Hufanga is a devastating one for the San Francisco defense, as the 23-year-old has emerged as one of the NFL's premier safeties in his third season in the league. Over 10 appearances this season, Hufanga tallied 52 tackles and three interceptions.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Carted off, done for day
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Hufanga (knee) has been ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers' official site reports.
Hufanga suffered a knee injury and was carted off the field in the third quarter, bringing his day to an end. In his absence, George Odum will be thrust into a significant role in San Francisco's secondary.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Gets interception at Jacksonville
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Hufanga recorded eight tackles (five solo) and an interception in Sunday's 34-3 win at the Jaguars.
In the middle of the third quarter, Hufanga was in the right place at the right time for his third pick of the year after Tank Bigsby tipped up an errant third-down pass. Hufanga also tallied seven-plus tackles for the fourth time in as many games in Week 10. He's a noteworthy blip on the IDP radar heading into a Week 11 matchup versus the Buccaneers.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Season-high tackles in win
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Hufanga had 10 tackles (eight solo) in Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Bengals.
Hufanga was in a three-way tie for most tackles on the day with Isaiah Oliver and Fred Warner. It was the first time Hufanga reached double-digit tackles this year and was the first time he's done so since Week 1 of the 2022 season. He's played in 100 percent of the team's defensive snaps in each of the last three games.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Breakout year at safety
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Hufanga finished the 2022 season with 97 tackles (66 solo), four interceptions, two sacks and two forced fumbles across 17 regular-season games.
Hufanga also scored a touchdown on one of his interceptions, rounding out a breakout year at safety. The 2021 fifth-round pick remains on his rookie contract through the 2024 season, but he will likely command some sort of extension before then if he can reproduce the results we saw this year. Hufanga will begin next season as the 49ers' starting strong safety, putting him in position to post strong IDP numbers.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Nine stops in Week 17
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Hufanga notched nine tackles (four solo) during Sunday's 37-34 win over the Raiders.
Hufanga's nine tackles were good for second on the team behind Fred Warner and tied his second-highest mark of the season. In his first full season as a starter, the second-year safety has totaled 93 stops, nine pass defenses, four interceptions, two sacks, two forced fumbles and one defensive touchdown.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: Listed as questionable for Sunday
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Hufanga (concussion) is considered questionable for Sunday's game against Kansas City, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Hufanga entered concussion protocol Monday after taking a hit to the head in a Week 6 loss against Atlanta. He missed the first two practices this week but was able to return in a limited fashion Friday. Should Hufanga not be able to clear the protocol, Tarvarius Moore could be in line to replace him in the lineup.
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49ers' Talanoa Hufanga: First sack of 2022
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Hufanga recorded five tackles (two solo), one sack and one pass breakup during Sunday's 37-15 win over the Panthers.
Hufanga's totaled 30 tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups through his five contests of 2022. This is already a drastic increase from his 2021 campaign, where he compiled 32 tackles, zero interceptions and two pass breakups through 15 games. The 22-year-old is on pace for 100 plus tackles this season if he remains healthy.
