The 49ers continue to work on resolutions to their high-profile contract disputes with WR Brandon Aiyuk and LT Trent Williams, and the club is also waiting on 2022 First Team All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga. As Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle details, Hufanga — who sustained a torn ACL in November — was cleared to take the next steps in his rehab, but that does not yet include practice.
“We can push him a little bit harder,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Not against players. But those type of dynamic cuts. Hopefully, he has a real good week with it and we can talk about easing him into practice.”
With the start of the regular season fast approaching, the fact that Hufanga has not been cleared to practice yet suggests that he may not be ready for Week 1 as originally hoped. George Odum has been taking first-team reps in Hufanga’s absence, though fourth-round rookie Malik Mustapha is pushing the veteran for playing time.
2024 is the final season of Hufanga’s rookie contract, so an early and productive return to the starting lineup will be a major boon to his future earning power.
Now for a few more items, including several injury-related notes, from the Bay Area:
- Thanks in part to injuries to Spencer Burford and Jon Feliciano, third-round rookie Dominick Puni saw immediate action as the first-team right guard in the early days of training camp. It was noted at the time that the former Central Missouri blocker, who finished his collegiate career as a tackle at Kansas, was catching on quickly to the Niners’ complex blocking scheme, and it seems he has continued to build momentum. Per Matt Barrows of The Athletic (subscription required), Puni is the presumptive RG starter, although the team wants to see further growth from him.
- Puni’s fellow starting guard, LG Aaron Banks, recently sustained a broken little finger, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. Like Hufanga, Banks is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and though he has served as the full-time starter at left guard over each of the past two seasons, he has not exactly been a world-beater. A strong showing in 2024 will help him secure a notable second NFL contract, even if it does not come from the 49ers (the club has not been overly willing to pay up for interior lineman in recent years, and we heard last month that Puni could eventually take over for Banks at LG). Luckily, Banks could return for Week 1.
- The news is not as good for DT Kalia Davis, who will undergo knee surgery and who will miss half of the 2024 season as a result (as relayed by Barrows). Davis, a 2022 sixth-rounder, sustained a torn ACL during his final year of college and missed his entire rookie season as a result. He appeared in a total of 54 defensive snaps across three games last year, but he performed well in last week’s preseason opener (a sack and two backfield hits). His efforts to carve out a more meaningful role in San Francisco’s D-line rotation will be put on hold, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting that surgery is necessary to remove a floating body in Davis’ knee.
SF needs to move on from Trent & Aiyuk. They firmly believe Brock is their future, so make salary cap room for him and the next gen of 9’ers.
You don’t move on from Trent- a HOF LT who grades out as the best LT still at his age isn’t replaceable.
At some point, you have to move on. I agree 1st ballot HoF’er.
At some point when he retires. Not today. He will retire before he plays somewhere else he has said this. As far as Aiyuk his song and dance is getting old. If he really wanted to be traded he would have made his request before the draft. His ploy was to get his extension and get it from the 49ers however he needed to. My guess is they announce the contract at the game against the Saints tonight.
Wow, you’re pretty gullible…believing that Williams will retire before he plays elsewhere is bull….he’ll play for anyone willing to offer him a contract with guaranteed money if he is intact cut loose….and the team definitely needs to look forward as far as contribution not backward…his HOF status shouldn’t affect what the teams does as far as what’s best….
It makes me gullible because a guy who has contemplated retirement the last two offseasons said that this would be the last franchise he played for? Yes he did play in Washington do you remember who was offensive coordinator there and the main reason he wanted to come to San Fran in the first place. The 49ers have him under contract for 3 years with zero interest of letting him go. He is the most important player on the team and they will do whatever it takes to make sure his number fits even if it means making cuts elsewhere. Williams is 36 not 26 his wife gave birth to twins the week after the Super Bowl I truly believe if they would have won he would have hung it up. That ring is really the only reason he is still going so what you are saying is you think there is a better chance he plays somewhere else by way of the 49ers cutting or trading him or he plays out 3 seasons and hits free agency at 39 than he retires in the next 3 years. That is what makes me “gullible”? Haha I think a more accurate description would be you were trying to look smart and funny but didn’t have a clue what you were talking about. Better luck next time.
Trent played many seasons in DC. He doesn’t care about franchises. Been there done that. Nor should he. Show him the loot.
You can’t move on from Trent until you have a backup and replacement in place. They currently have Jaylon Moore, and while he has looked alot better this offseason, he still isn’t a starting caliber LT on a team with Super Bowl aspirations…
I think Trent just wanted his deal to have some extra guaranteed money on it, and the 49ers will likely give the Kan what he wants.
With Trent Eilliams in the lineup the 49ers were the most successful team running the ball to the left, in terms of average yards per run. For the two games without Trent, they instantly become one of th absolute worst teams when running the ball to the left. I don’t recall the exact numbers, but when Trent was in the 49ers averaged something like 5.5 ypc when running to the left, and when he was out it went all the way down to less than 2 ypc.
Not to mention, without Trent in the lime-up Purdy also suffered two major hits that left him very likely concussed, and all of a sudden he couldn’t throw the ball anymore with any semblance of the same accuracy. The following week Purdy still wasn’t himself yet, and it was painfully obvious.
The point is, they need Big Trent. He’s probably the second most important player on this 49ers offense, and without him they aren’t going anywhere.
The 49ers moved on from Terrell Owens and he had four 1000+ yard seasons and a couple of All Pro nods afterwards. I can understand why the organization is being very cautious with their high end performers now.
That situation from 2 decades ago isn’t similar to this situation in any shape or form except it’s the 49ers.
They wanted to move on from his bs
You can’t just “make salary cap room”.
Yes you can. Cut or trade players.