2 weeks Ago By Nicholas McGee, A to Z Sports
Talanoa Hufanga understandably doesn't want another season lost to injury, and the San Francisco 49ers safety is doing all he can to avoid one. Having seen his 2023 campaign ended in Week 11 by a torn ACL, leading him to miss the 49ers' run to Super Bowl 58, Hufanga has only played in two games this year after finally returning from that knee injury in Week 3. Hufanga tore ligaments in his wrist in the Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals and was subsequently placed on injured reserve.
A report from The Athletic's Mike Silver suggested the injury could end Hufanga's season, but that the safety will try to play through the issue by wearing a cast. Update: I spoke with @chriscabott , Hufanga's agent. He insists that the plan is for Hufanga to try to play in a few weeks while wearing a cast.
That would be a welcome development https://t.co/09jQnZtkiK Asked about Hufanga's plans in his Friday press conference ahead of the Week 8 game with the Dallas Cowboys , head coach Kyle Shanahan said: "I know he's trying to come back this season. That's what his plan is, that's his hope.
And I know he's got a few more weeks, at least, on IR and we're going to see how he feels after that and whether he can pull it off or not." "It's not a sure thing, but it's something we're hoping that happens and kind of expecting it to, but it's not for sure." In the final year of his deal, Hufanga's desire not to have another year wiped out is understandable.
His frustration at a succession of injury problems will obviously be high, but he also has financial incentive to get back on the field to earn the best deal he can either from the 49ers or a new team on the open market next offseason. From the 49ers' perspective, they can approach the situation with relative calm as Ji'Ayir Brown has continued on an upward trajectory following an encouraging rookie season in which he replaced Hufanga, while fourth-round rookie Malik Mustapha has flashed significant promise over his three starts to this point. The 49ers also have a veteran on the practice squad in the form of Adrian Amos , but their flexibility in the defensive backfield would increase significantly if they could get Hufanga back on the field for the stretch run.
This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission..
