Talanoa Hufanga

Jets Made Last-Ditch Push For S Talanoa Hufanga

March 20th, 2025 at 11:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The legal tampering period annually brings waves of unofficial agreements, as official announcements cannot come until the next league year starts. This current arrangement leaves room for teams to poach free agents after they have already committed elsewhere. Although this does not happen often, instances have occurred that led to 11th-hour changes from free agents.

It appears the Jets were involved in an effort to sway a high-end defender’s commitment last week. Talanoa Hufanga agreed to join the Broncos on a three-year deal, doing so hours before ex-49ers teammate Dre Greenlaw agreed to sign with the AFC West team. Hufanga, however, drew a subsequent Jets push.

The Jets attempted to pry Hufanga from the Broncos’ grasp after reports of the deal surfaced, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. Gang Green had been connected to the Jevon Holland market, but Hufanga may have been higher on the team’s list. Holland did not agree to terms (with the Giants) until Day 2 of the tampering period. As Day 1 progressed, the Jets made their case after Hufanga’s camp had agreed to Broncos terms. Hufanga did not come off his decision and is heading to Denver.

This overtime duel for Hufanga pitted Broncos GM George Paton against former lieutenant Darren Mougey, whom the Jets hired as GM this offseason. The former John Elway hire moved onto a lower-cost option at safety once Hufanga kept his Broncos commitment.

A 2022 first-team All-Pro who battled injury issues over the past two seasons, Hufanga signed a three-year, $39MM Broncos deal. The actual terms do not match the initial report, which indicated Denver went to $45MM in total for the multiyear safety starter. Hufanga’s market did not quite match where Holland, Tre’von Moehrig and Camryn Bynum‘s respective free agency forays went. It is unclear if the Jets were offering more money, but it is unlikely they were preparing to make a substantially bigger investment. After their Hufanga push failed, the Jets signed ex-Jaguars safety Andre Cisco to a one-year, $8.5MM pact soon after.

Hufanga, 26, will be set to start alongside Brandon Jones in Denver. He and Greenlaw join former 49ers teammates Mike McGlinchey and D.J. Jones as Broncos starters; Jones had re-signed to stay in Denver the night before the tampering period began. Hufanga’s Broncos agreement includes $20MM guaranteed at signing.

Elsewhere on the Broncos’ roster, their Jarrett Stidham re-signing (two years, $12MM) came with $6.99MM guaranteed at signing, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. The Broncos are guaranteeing $2MM of their backup QB’s $5.99MM 2026 base salary, providing a runway for the ex-Patriots draftee to extend his Denver run to at least four seasons.

Although Matt Peart could not escape our Minor NFL Transactions section during a frenzied first day of the tampering period, the Denver swingman received a nice raise on his second Broncos contract. Peart’s second Denver deal is worth $7MM over two years, Klis adds. The Broncos, who had Peart at just $1.29MM last season, retained 2026 flexibility by only guaranteeing the backup $775K for injury beyond 2025. Peart, 27, made two starts for the team in 2024. Denver returning UDFA Alex Palczewski as well provides decent protection in the event McGlinchey or LT Garett Bolles miss time.

Broncos To Sign S Talanoa Hufanga

March 10th, 2025 at 1:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Carrying an interesting market into free agency, Talanoa Hufanga has blended one of this decade’s top safety seasons with an injury-plagued recent past. The former All-Pro, however, has naturally generated interest.

The Broncos are signing the three-year starter, 9News’ Mike Klis reports. Denver had been mentioned as a team pursuing Hufanga, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, even though they return both their 2024 safety starters. It would appear Hufanga will be in line to replace P.J. Locke alongside 2024 addition Brandon Jones in the Broncos’ starting lineup.

One of the top safeties available this offseason, Hufanga will not see his ACL tear and subsequent wrist injury cost him too much. His Broncos deal can be worth up to $45MM and includes $20MM guaranteed. Hufanga’s contract betters Jones’; the ex-Dolphin is on the Broncos’ cap sheet on a three-year, $20MM deal.

Denver is adding Hufanga ahead of his age-26 season and will hope the former fifth-round pick can remind of his 2022 form soon. Winning a starting job out of training camp that year, Hufanga intercepted four passes, forced two fumbles and posted two sacks for a top-five 49ers defense that season. Adding five TFLs that year, the USC product took one of his INTs back for a score. A year after cutting Justin Simmons, the Broncos have dived back into the safety market for help.

After a woeful 2023 start, Vance Joseph‘s unit has picked up the pieces. Jones was part of this effort last season, as Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 3 overall safety. Hufanga stands to be an upgrade on Locke, who had helped the 2023 Bronco edition rebound before not faring quite as well last season. Locke is tied to a two-year, $7MM pact and could well slide back to the second-string role he played behind Simmons and Kareem Jackson prior to 2023. The Broncos could also save more than $4MM by releasing Locke.

The 49ers had expressed interest in re-signing Hufanga, but they did see his injuries give Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha extensive playing time. San Francisco may opt to stay young at safety, especially as a big-ticket Brock Purdy extension looms. The Broncos will see Hufanga’s guarantees line up with Bo Nix‘s rookie contract.

Commanders Preparing Aggressive Pursuit Of Defensive Additions

February 10th, 2025 at 4:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

Led by the stellar play of Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, the Commanders made a surprise run to the NFC title game. The team’s defense was a sore spot during the campaign, though, and it is understandably a point of focus for the offseason.

Washington can be expected to be aggressive in pursuing upgrades on defense, ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes. That comes as little surprise, given the fact Daniels will be attached to his rookie contract through 2027 (with a fifth-year option possible for the following campaign). Making major financial commitments will be much more feasible now than the period where he will be on an extension as long as he cements his status as a franchise passer.

The Commanders reset on defense midway through last season by dealing away edge rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the trade deadline. The arrival of new head coach Dan Quinn brought about several new faces on that side of the ball, many of whom were familiar to him stemming from his time as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. Washington was active ahead of the 2024 deadline by acquiring Pro Bowl corner Marson Lattimore from the Saints.

The Commanders outbid multiple suitors to acquire the 28-year-old, although injuries limited him to only five appearances with his new team. Lattimore struggled in coverage during the playoffs in particular, but well before that point it was clear the team intended to keep him in the fold via a revised deal. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year is set to carry a cap hit of $18MM in 2025 with a projected $18.5MM figure the following year; none of his scheduled base salaries are guaranteed for that stretch. An extension could lower his cap charges while providing a new round of locked in compensation.

Even if Lattimore is retained, the secondary will be an area of focus for Washington this spring. On that note, Matt Barrows of The Athletic writes Commanders general manager Adam Peters was a strong advocate for the 49ers drafting safety Talanoa Hufanga in 2021 (subscription required). Peters was a member of San Francisco’s front office at the time, so Hufanga – one of the 49ers’ top pending free agents – would be a logical target if he were to prioritize familiar players in March.

With respect to the defensive line, Osa Odighizuwa could be a name to watch. The 26-year-old has spent his first four years as a Cowboy, so he has experience playing under Quinn in Dallas. Graziano’s colleague Jeremy Fowler writes Odighizuwa is viewed by teams as the top interior defender in the 2025 free agent class, so he could generate a strong market beyond the Commanders. Washington has Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen under contract, though, and the team invested a second-round pick in Jer’Zhan Newton last April. Still, if the Commanders were to target Odighizuwa next month, he could become the latest ex-Cowboy to head to the nation’s capital.

Washington currently sits third in the NFL in projected 2025 cap space, so finances will not be an issue while Peters and Co. look to upgrade a defense which ranked 18th in points allowed and struggled against the run this past season. It will be interesting to see how aggressive the Commanders are this spring as they look to build off the success witnessed during Daniels’ debut campaign.

49ers Want To Re-Sign S Talanoa Hufanga, LB Dre Greenlaw

December 20th, 2024 at 12:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

As injuries have harpooned a 49ers NFC title defense for the second time in five years, the team’s offseason becomes more relevant. The 49ers extended Deommodore Lenoir earlier this season but still has several starters moving toward free agency.

The Lenoir extension probably sends Charvarius Ward back to the market, but the 49ers are not closing the door on re-signing two other impending free agent defenders. The team is interested in retaining both Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw. Kyle Shanahan confirmed as much.

“Those are two of the better players I’ve been around and two of the better players on our team and two of the main reasons we’ve had the success we’ve had,” Shanahan said, via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows (subscription required) “So hopefully we can do everything we can to work out keeping them here because they’re as much of examples of 49ers as anyone I can think of.”

For what it’s worth, Shanahan offered a similar sentiment regarding Ward this summer. With Lenoir signed and Renardo Green on track for a bigger 2025 role, Ward is almost certainly heading elsewhere come March. The 49ers also have guard Aaron Banks set to hit the market. Barrows does not place a high likelihood on Banks being back, either, as the 49ers have not been big on guard payments under Shanahan; this year’s guard market also showed how high prices can rise for proven starters. As for Hufanga, Barrows views a return as being squarely on the radar.

The markets of both Hufanga and Greenlaw figure to be impacted by the injuries each has battled. Hufanga sustained an ACL tear in November 2023 and then missed much of this season due to a wrist issue, one that still has him in a cast. Greenlaw suffered one of the more untimely injuries in NFL history, at least as it pertained to his team’s championship chances, tearing an Achilles while trotting onto the field in Super Bowl LVIII. Both players are off IR now, however, and can boost their markets by playing well for a 6-8 team over the final three games.

A 2021 fifth-round pick, Hufanga impressed during a 2022 position battle to replace Jaquiski Tartt and earned first-team All-Pro acclaim months later. The 49ers showed how much they value Hufanga this season, redeploying him despite the cast. That said, Ji’Ayir Brown and fourth-round rookie Malik Mustapha have been the team’s primary safeties this season. Both are tied to rookie deals, each’s running beyond 2025. The 49ers want to keep Hufanga, but Barrows does not make it sound like they would compete with a booming market. Then again, beyond Xavier McKinney and Jessie Bates, safeties have not generated booming markets in recent offseasons. That would boost San Francisco’s retention chances.

San Francisco has run into a much more difficult time replacing Greenlaw. Its 2024 plan infamously combusted last week, with De’Vondre Campbell refusing to enter the Rams game and walking off the field. The 49ers have suspended the linebacker, whom John Lynch confronted during the strange sequence. The since-banned ‘backer had started to refuse to play during the second quarter, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer notes, adding that Lynch then sent him to the locker room. Shanahan also said (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch) the team had one other linebacker — after Eric Kendricks, who backtracked on a 49ers pledge to join the Cowboys — ahead of Campbell in their free agency pecking order.

Campbell, however, became the pick and proved a downgrade on Greenlaw. The latter has been Fred Warner‘s primary sidekick since his 2019 rookie season. While Greenlaw accepted a two-year, $16MM extension in 2022, he is likely to finish this season unsigned. We mentioned recently a deal in the ballpark of ex-teammate Azeez Al-Shaair (three years, $34MM) could be in play should Greenlaw stay healthy to close out the year; Barrows also mentioned that as a comp. Greenlaw and Al-Shaair are each 27, though the 49ers consistently played Greenlaw in front of the now-Texans linebacker.

The 49ers’ plans to pay Brock Purdy the quarterback going rate will complicate their free agency strategy as well. That will make the Greenlaw and Hufanga markets more interesting. A potential either/or situation may form with this duo, but it does appear clear the 49ers are not planning to let either walk without negotiations commencing first.

49ers Activate S Talanoa Hufanga

December 7th, 2024 at 4:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The 49ers have been bombarded with injuries this year, but today they’ll get a bit of relief. San Francisco has officially made the move to activate safety Talanoa Hufanga from injured reserve. After attempting to make a comeback earlier this year, the hope is that, this time, Hufanga will be healthy enough and here to stay.

Hufanga’s initial return was from a torn ACL that he suffered just over a year ago. The team activated him from the active/PUP list just prior to the start of the regular season to ensure that he wouldn’t miss the first four games of the year. A limited runup to the season meant a limited snap share when he finally did return to the lineup, though, and after missing the first two games of the season, Hufanga made his official return in Week 3.

Hufanga missed a game after his 2024 debut before getting his second start, but he left that second game early and did not return. In the process of his comeback, Hufanga had suffered ligament damage in his wrist, necessitating an unfortunate return to IR. There was seemingly no guarantee that he would return this season, but the team ended up opening his practice window earlier this week. Hufanga, who is in a contract year, will not be 100 percent in his return as he still needs support for his injured wrist. With a potential free agency run coming, though, Hufanga will attempt to give it a go.

In order to make room on the 53-man roster for Hufanga, the Niners officially made the move to place running back Jordan Mason on IR. Joining Mason on IR will be backup safety George Odum, who has missed the past week of practice dealing with a knee issue that will seemingly end his season.

With an additional roster spot being made available, San Francisco will sign practice squad offensive tackle Sebastian Gutierrez to the active roster. Signed to the practice squad last week after some time in Indianapolis, Gutierrez was elevated for last weekend’s contest but hasn’t appeared in a game since 2022.

Joining Gutierrez for gameday from the practice squad will be linebacker Jalen Graham and running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn. As standard practice squad elevations, Graham and Vaughn will revert to the practice squad after the game, while Gutierrez will remain on the 53-man roster.

49ers To Open S Talanoa Hufanga’s Practice Window, Place RB Jordan Mason On IR

December 2nd, 2024 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

As injuries once again define a 49ers NFC title defense, the team still has some silver linings in the form of defenders reentering the equation. Talanoa Hufanga is on his way back.

Down with a wrist injury for months, Hufanga is set to practice this week, Kyle Shanahan said. After rehabbing the ACL tear sustained on Thanksgiving night last year, Hufanga suffered a significant wrist malady that limited him to just two games thus far this season. The 49ers, however, had not ruled him out. Now in the IR-return window, the All-Pro safety has three weeks to return.

With Hufanga joining Dre Greenlaw in a return window from an injured list, Jordan Mason is heading to IR. The Christian McCaffrey backup suffered a high ankle sprain Sunday night, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The 49ers lost McCaffrey to another injury — a PCL issue — that is expected to shut him down. Mason is now out until at least Week 18, leaving rookie Isaac Guerendo as the 49ers’ lead back for the foreseeable future.

Hufanga, who is in a contract year, will not be 100% if he returns to action. Shanahan said (via the Bay Area News Group’s Cam Inman) the standout DB still needs support for his injured wrist. With a potential free agency run coming, Hufanga will attempt to give it a go. Counting last season’s three playoff games, the former fifth-round pick has missed 20 of the 49ers’ past 22 contests.

Conflicting reports emerged earlier this season about whether Hufanga would return. An October offering suggested the 49ers were not counting on him to return, but the team had not ruled it out. San Francisco will at least see how he looks in practice. The injuries to Hufanga and Greenlaw played a key role in the 49ers falling just short in an overtime Super Bowl loss last season; for the first time since Hufanga’s November 2023 ACL injury, both will be back at work. Though, this comes at a dire point for a team in one of the worst Super Bowl hangovers in recent memory. A three-game losing streak has dropped the 49ers to 5-7.

The 49ers already played without All-Pros Nick Bosa, Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk on Sunday night. All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, who is playing through an ankle fracture, left the game as well. Recently extended cornerback starter Deommodore Lenoir missed Week 13, while Brock Purdy returned after missing Week 12 due to injury. McCaffrey joins Mason in heading to IR, and Shanahan said defensive tackle Kevin Givens suffered a pectoral tear and will join the RBs on the injured list.

Beating out Elijah Mitchell for the backup running back job, Mason became a vital piece for the 49ers during McCaffrey’s Achilles rehab. The former UDFA held the NFL rushing lead for a short span this season, producing three 100-yard games over his first four. He paces the 49ers with 789 rushing yards and three TDs. Mason can be retained beyond this season, as the Georgia Tech alum is eligible for restricted free agency next year. Mitchell is on season-ending IR.

He of a sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash at this year’s Combine, Guerendo has shown flashes as a Mason backup. The third-round pick is the only healthy back on San Francisco’s 53-man roster right now, a situation that will see changes made soon. Patrick Taylor is the only RB on the team’s practice squad.

Givens has been with the 49ers for six seasons, working as a rotational player for most of that time. He has a career-high 3.5 sacks this season but will join DT Javon Hargrave among the expanding 49ers’ IR contingent. Playing out a $2MM deal, Givens is among the many 49ers defenders headed toward free agency.

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.

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.

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