HEADLINES

Talanoa Hufanga

NFL Injury Updates: Jets, Hufanga, Dennis

October 27th, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jets provided an unfortunate update on Friday, with Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York reporting that starting guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, starting safety Ashtyn Davis, and defensive tackle Leki Fotu would all be out for today’s matchup with the Patriots. To make matters worse, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich has claimed that all three players are candidates for injured reserve.

All three players were unable to participate in practice this week. The claim makes sense for Vera-Tucker and Fotu, who are dealing with ankle and knee injuries, respectively. The claim is a little more concerning for Davis, who has been on the injury report with a designated concussion. We’ve seen players come back from the NFL’s concussion protocol within a week, so the idea that Davis could miss four weeks because of a head injury could be alarming.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • It’s been a rough go lately for 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga. A year after earning first-team All-Pro honors, Hufanga suffered a season-ending ACL tear that cost him the final seven games of the year, not to mention San Francisco’s three playoff games en route to a close Super Bowl loss. He worked hard to be ready for the start of the 2024 season but was unable to make an appearance until Week 3. He was inactive in Week 4 before making his second start in Week 5 against the Cardinals, getting knocked out after only 11 defensive snaps with a wrist injury. According to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, head coach Kyle Shanahan reported that it’s not guaranteed that Hufanga returns this year. Shanahan was quoted saying “it’s something (they’re) hoping happens” and that they’re “kind of expecting it to” happen, but “it’s not a sure thing.”
  • Buccaneers linebacker SirVocea Dennis has been on IR for the last three weeks with a shoulder injury, meaning that he’ll be eligible to return from IR after one more game. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case for the second-year defender. According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Dennis is unlikely to return this season. Per head coach Todd Bowles, if Dennis were to appear on the field again in Tampa Bay’s 2024 campaign, it would require a deep playoff run.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Hufanga, Rams

October 10th, 2024 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Left in charge after the Seahawks jettisoned their other football operations pillar, John Schneider‘s search for Pete Carroll‘s successor started earlier. The 14-year Seattle HC’s age (72 as of Week 18 last season) moved Schneider to do some early work on candidates, per ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson, leading the team to 36-year-old Mike Macdonald.

While the Carroll-for-Macdonald change — or a move to a much younger candidate — was eventually expected, the decision from Seahawks ownership gave Schneider full autonomy for the first time. Previously riding shotgun to Carroll in terms of final roster say, Schneider’s takeover of sorts came after the aging HC had discussed ceding that power to the GM in recent years, Henderson adds. A January report also pointed to Carroll considering retirement around midseason only to reverse course; Seahawks ownership’s decision cemented the change to a Schneider-run operation. Although Carroll and Schneider rarely disagreed to the point the coach had to wield his decision-making hammer, it will be interesting to gauge the Seahawks’ direction with the longtime GM calling all the shots.

Carroll is technically a Seahawks advisor following his coaching stay, though the former Jets and Patriots HC wanted to coach again. He lobbied to keep the Seattle gig. But Carroll has kept his distance from the facility, with Henderson adding the departed coach wants to give Macdonald’s regime space. Carroll had indeed planned to serve in his advisory role, but he has stepped back in the months since. Carroll, now 73, is no longer eyeing another coaching job.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • Both Carroll and Macdonald signed off on a Jason Peters addition. The now-42-year-old tackle played sparingly for the Seahawks last season, coming in to help a team that missed RT Abraham Lucas for much of the season. With that again the case and George Fant‘s second Seattle stint on hold, the Seahawks again summoned Peters to the practice squad. Close to becoming the first O-lineman to be on an active roster in a 21st NFL season, Peters said he did not expect to play again. Staying in contact with Schneider helped the All-Decade blocker’s cause, Henderson adds, and he could be on the cusp of being elevated to the Hawks’ gameday roster again.
  • Tre’Davious White is still on the Rams‘ 53-man roster, but the team deemed the eighth-year veteran a healthy scratch in Week 5. Classifying this as a coach’s decision, Sean McVay demoted the free agency acquisition from starter to out of the mix entirely, via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. This is an interesting decision, even with the Rams activating Darious Williams from IR and turning to the recently re-signed Ahkello Witherspoon as a starter (alongside Cobie Durant) for the first time this season. Despite his injury trouble during the final years of his Bills tenure, White played 98% of Los Angeles’ defensive snaps during the team’s first four games. Pro Football Focus rated White as the NFL’s seventh-worst corner this season, and the former Buffalo extension recipient has already been charged with allowing four touchdown receptions and a 138.4 passer rating as the closest defender this season. White, 29, is on a one-year, $4.25MM deal.
  • Talanoa Hufanga is back on IR, having suffered a wrist injury shortly after his ACL rehab odyssey concluded. Injuries are slowing the All-Pro safety, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano still views him as being on the 49ers’ extension radar. Hufanga joins cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir on San Francisco’s extension radar. The team may be readier to commit to Lenoir compared to Ward, who is three years younger (at 25), but Hufanga being on the team’s re-up radar is interesting. The former fifth-round pick rocketed onto the All-Pro tier in 2022 and would make sense as an extension candidate, but the 49ers paid Brandon Aiyuk this offseason and have a Brock Purdy extension on the horizon. Choices will need to be made on a defense that also houses Dre Greenlaw in a contract year.

49ers Place S Talanoa Hufanga On IR; K Jake Moody An IR Candidate

October 9th, 2024 at 3:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 9: The 49ers are following through with an IR move for one of these regulars. Hufanga is heading back to IR, the team announced. Finishing last season sidelined due to an ACL tear, Hufanga is expected back this season. But the All-Pro safety will be shut down for at least four games. The 49ers signed tight end Brayden Willis from their practice squad to take Hufanga’s roster spot.

OCTOBER 8: Talanoa Hufanga has managed to make a pair of appearances this season for the 49ers, but his next game action will come after a notable absence. The All-Pro safety is dealing with ligament damage in his wrist, head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday.

[RELATED: 49ers Place Yetur Gross-Matos On IR]

As a result, Hufanga is facing an absence of roughly one month. A stint on injured reserve would ensure at least a four-game absence, making that a consideration in this case. Shanahan added (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic) the team has yet to decide if an IR stint will be in store.

In either case, today’s news is unwelcomed given Hufanga’s importance to the 49ers’ secondary and his missed time from last year. The 25-year-old suffered a torn ACL in November, limiting him to 10 regular season games and sidelining him for San Francisco’s run to the Super Bowl. Hufanga was activated from the PUP list at the end of the summer, though, making him eligible to play within the first four weeks of the campaign upon returning to practice.

The former fifth-rounder made his season debut in Week 3 before missing the following contest. Hufanga then suffered his latest injury early in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, a game which dropped the 49ers’ record to 2-3. Rebounding from that poor start will be challenging as the team deals with several key absences on defense.

In other injury news, kicker Jake Moody – who is dealing with a high ankle sprain – is facing a similar recovery timeline, per Shanahan. He too could land on IR, something which would result in an extended audition period for the team’s new kicker. Matthew Wright is now in place as Moody’s replacement, having agreed to a practice squad deal earlier today.

The 49ers designated defensive tackle ​Kalia Davis for return from IR before the roster cutdown deadline. That move used one of their eight activations for the year (although Davis has not yet been brought back into the fold), with running back Christian McCaffrey, cornerback Ambry Thomas and Jon Feliciano all still on injured reserve. First-round rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall remains on the reserve/NFI list for now; all four members of that group will use up an activation once they are healthy. The 49ers must therefore be careful with IR designations moving forward, but one or both of Hufanga and Moody could be shelved for four games soon.

49ers’ Talanoa Hufanga Returns To Practice

September 1st, 2024 at 10:10am CST by Rory Parks

49ers fans received some good news during final roster cutdowns this week, as the club elected to activate safety Talanoa Hufanga from the PUP list. The even better news is that Hufanga has returned to practice, as David Lombardi of The Athletic writes (subscription required).

Hufanga suffered a torn ACL in November, and if he had not been activated, he would have begun the season on the reserve/PUP list and would have therefore been forced to miss at least the first four weeks of the campaign. He was indeed mentioned as a candidate for the reserve/PUP list, but San Francisco saw enough progress to believe that he could be ready for game action sooner rather than later.

Lombardi cautions that Hufanga’s return to the practice field does not necessarily mean that the 2022 First Team All-Pro will see a full snap share right away. After all, he only participated in individual drills during his first two practice sessions, with the team hoping to ramp up his activities this week.

Plus, the Niners gave themselves a little protection on the back end of their defense by adding veteran Tracy Walker to the taxi squad after finalizing their 53-man roster. Walker signed with the club early last month, was released during final cuts, and was brought back to the p-squad shortly thereafter with the goal of elevating him for the Week 1 contest against the Jets (thereby suggesting that San Francisco will need an extra safety at least for that game).

Per Lombardi, Walker will not start even if Hufanga is unavailable for the season opener, with rookie fourth-rounder Malik Mustapha and veteran George Odum likely to see more reps. While Mustapha has built some momentum for himself, all of those players are presently placeholders for Hufanga, who is entering a contract year and who could set himself up for a lucrative payday if he is fully healthy and can continue performing as he did in 2022 and prior to his injury in 2023.

“He’s really worked his butt off,” defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said of Hufanga. “Hearing how he’s gone through this process, I’m not surprised just because of who he is. I think everybody involved with it — but him primarily — the way that he worked to get back to this, it’s exciting and really happy for him.”

As Lombardi notes, the 49ers also welcomed new acquisition Isaac Yiadom back to practice. Yiadom, who figures to see plenty of reps at cornerback this year, had been battling an ankle injury throughout the second half of training camp.

49ers Activate Talanoa Hufanga, Move Roster To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two 49ers remain out out of the mix (but definitely not out of headlines, in Brandon Aiyuk‘s case), though both standouts are still employed by the team. Though, Trent Williams remains on the reserve/did not report list. Here is how the defending NFC champs pared their roster to 53 by today’s deadline:

Released:

Waived:

Activated from active/PUP list:

Placed on IR:

Placed on IR (return designation):

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

Hufanga’s status represents a positive development for a 49ers team in need of them. The All-Pro safety had been rumored to join Greenlaw on the reserve/PUP list. Avoiding it does not guarantee Hufanga will be ready for Week 1, but it keeps the fourth-year defender in the equation for the 49ers’ first four games. They are choosing to carry Hufanga on the 53-man roster and go week-to-week with him. This undoubtedly led to Walker being moved off the roster.

Conversely, Mitchell’s time with the team may be over. San Francisco surprised most by vaulting the 2021 sixth-round pick into a starting role to open that season, dropping Trey Sermon to a backup spot. Mitchell operated as San Francisco’s preferred starter — as long as he was healthy, which was sporadic — until the October 2022 Christian McCaffrey trade. The 49ers now have Jordan Mason and rookie Isaac Guerendo as CMC backups.

A hamstring injury has sidelined Mitchell, potentially opening the door to an injury settlement. Davis will be able to return this season for the 49ers; Mitchell’s designation would prevent that. The 49ers are down to seven IR activations as a result of the Davis decision. A 2022 sixth-round pick, Davis remains in the team’s plans despite injuries largely keeping him out of action. Davis has played just three NFL games, and he suffered another injury — a knee issue requiring surgery — during camp.

The 49ers, who will bring many of these players back to the practice squad, cut two recent third-round picks — Gray and Latu. The latter has not played yet as a pro, missing his entire rookie season with an ACL tear. Gray has been unable to carve out a role on a 49ers team that has seen Jauan Jennings stick as the team’s WR3; rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing are also in the mix now.

Reserve/PUP List In Play For 49ers S Talanoa Hufanga

August 21st, 2024 at 9:59am CST by Sam Robinson

Two of the injuries the 49ers battled late last season are expected to linger into the upcoming campaign. The 49ers are prepared to stash Dre Greenlaw on their reserve/PUP list; that may be where Talanoa Hufanga starts his season.

Previously mentioned as in play to miss Week 1, Hufanga is now being connected to being kept on the PUP list to start the season. He went down with an ACL tear during the 49ers’ Thanksgiving matchup against the Seahawks. Kyle Shanahan confirmed (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch) that discussions have taken place regarding whether the All-Pro safety will need the four-game hiatus before returning.

Greenlaw and Hufanga are on the 49ers’ active/PUP list presently. If moved to the reserve/PUP list once San Francisco sets its 53-man roster next week, both are out at least four games. Greenlaw, who sustained an Achilles tear while jogging onto the field during Super Bowl LVIII, has long been expected to start the season on the PUP list. The 49ers added De’Vondre Campbell as immediate insurance; they were not as active at safety. At least, not immediately.

The 49ers can also go week-to-week with Hufanga, should they view him as likely to be ready at some point in the first four games. Hufanga said earlier this summer he was targeting Week 1 and even a return during training camp; the former fifth-round pick looks likely to need more time. That said, Branch adds the fourth-year defender did recently receive clearance to participate in drills. He remains on a ramp-up schedule, though Shanahan hopes a return next week is in the cards. Hufanga returning next week would be a good sign for the 49ers, as he would no longer be eligible for an in-season PUP stint.

While another Tashaun Gipson pact surfaced as an option, the multiyear 49ers starter was hit with a six-game suspension recently. (Gipson has since joined the Jaguars.) That took him out of the picture for a 49ers squad expected to use Ji’Ayir Brown as a full-time player this season. San Francisco eventually signed former Detroit starter Tracy Walker, adding the offseason cap casualty midway through training camp. The 49ers also roster special-teamer George Odum and used a fourth-round pick on safety Malik Mustapha. Odum has made 10 career starts; none have come during his 49ers stay.

Walker would be likelier to make San Francisco’s 53-man roster if Hufanga started the season on the PUP list. The Lions released the 43-game starter after six seasons in February. Hufanga represents an important part of San Francisco’s defense, having risen from part-timer as a rookie to first-team All-Pro in his second season. This will be a pivotal year for both he and Greenlaw, with each player on an expiring contract.

49ers Notes: Hufanga, Puni, Davis

August 18th, 2024 at 9:44am CST by Rory Parks

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.

49ers Rumors: RG, Hufanga, Pearsall

July 27th, 2024 at 5:24pm CST by Ely Allen

For much of the offseason, we have broadcast the 49ers’ right guard position battle as a challenge between Spencer Burford, who watched the job slip through his fingers last season, and Jon Feliciano, the man who took his job. In the meantime, we’ve logged third-round rookie Dominick Puni as a promising name to watch if he breaks out in training camp.

According to Cam Inman of The Mercury News, Puni’s time may be coming up sooner than expected. This revelation comes as Puni’s competition, Burford and Feliciano, both deal with injuries so far in training camp. Burford has suffered a fractured right hand, an ailment that could require surgery. If Burford undergoes surgery, that could keep him out for a bit of training camp, if not longer.

Feliciano has been dealing with a knee issue in recent days. The nine-year veteran has been preparing for what he has announced to be his final NFL season. As an experienced starter, Feliciano could just be playing it safe, getting the benefit of the doubt from coaches while making sure he’ll be ready for the regular season. The more time Feliciano sits out, though, the more first-team reps he’ll be allowing for his competition. Regardless of the position battle, Feliciano’s status last year as the sixth-man of the offensive line makes his health paramount at the moment.

With both Burford and Feliciano out, it’s been Puni taking those first-team reps. The team has praised Puni’s versatility after the Kansas-product made a strong first impression this spring. Offensive line coach Chris Foerster has lauded Puni’s strong frame and intelligence as he makes the adjustment to the NFL game.

Here are a couple of other injury updates from the Bay Area:

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/24

July 23rd, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OT Julién Davenport

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Reverted to IR: WR Jared Wayne
  • Released from IR: WR Jaxon Janke

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Talanoa Hufanga Targeting Week 1 Return; Ji’Ayir Brown Likely To Remain 49ers Starter

June 7th, 2024 at 4:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dre Greenlaw was not the only 49ers defensive standout unavailable for the conclusion of Super Bowl LVIII; the team played the stretch run without All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga. The two-year starter’s late-season ACL tear leaves his status for 2024 in question.

Hufanga suffered the injury during the 49ers’ Thanksgiving win over the Seahawks. It is not certain Hufanga joins Greenlaw as starters sidelined to open the season, but the contract-year DB is still a ways away from being ready to return.

“The goal is to ready by Week 1,” Hufanga said, via 49ersWebZone.com’s David Bonilla. “The goal is to be in training camp, not at the very beginning, but to ramp me up correctly, just so it’s not, ‘Throw you out there to the wolves and good luck.'”

A former fifth-round pick, Hufanga showed himself to be a difference-maker at safety during the 2022 season. He became the second 49ers safety this century, joining Dashon Goldson (2012), to earn first-team All-Pro acclaim. Hufanga, 25, profiles as an extension candidate for a 49ers team flush with those. In the secondary alone, Hufanga joins Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir as contract-year cogs. Ward is targeting a 49ers extension; Hufanga stands to be in this conversation upon return from his knee injury.

After a four-interception 2022, Hufanga picked off three passes before his injury last season. The 49ers moved third-round rookie Ji’Ayir Brown into the lineup alongside Tashaun Gipson. Although Gipson has come up as a player the 49ers would consider re-signing, the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman notes Brown looks to be locked into a starting role. This would shift the conversation of a San Francisco safety addition to that player merely being a placeholder until Hufanga returns.

The 49ers signed De’Vondre Campbell for a gig like this, as the three-year Packers starter is expected to begin the season as a three-down linebacker alongside Fred Warner until Greenlaw returns. Brown moving to a level in which the 49ers feel comfortable using him as a full-timer would change the conversation at safety, and it would give the defending NFC champions a low-cost piece on a team featuring several contract situations. Brown’s rookie contract runs through 2026.

The Penn State product started five games in place of Hufanga during the regular season and was in San Francisco’s lineup for its three playoff outings. He intercepted a Patrick Mahomes pass in the Super Bowl. While Gipson started the past two seasons with the 49ers, the well-traveled veteran has played 12 seasons and is not a lock to pursue a 13th.

San Francisco drafted Malik Mustapha in the fourth round and used All-Pro special-teamer George Odum as the first-stringer alongside Brown during the offseason program. If Gipson does not want to play an age-34 season, the 49ers would have some options as veteran insurance while Hufanga rehabs. A few free agent safeties, however, probably view themselves as overqualified for a placeholder/insurance gig. While the market includes Justin Simmons, Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams, they will likely hold out for a better opportunity. Marcus Maye and Eddie Jackson join this trio as unattached, and opportunities might be scarce come training camp. This should put the 49ers in good position to add if they choose to.

Load More Posts