Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The San Francisco 49ers have faced significant challenges this season, grappling with injuries that have contributed to their disappointing 3-4 record. This week, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk became the 10th player to be placed on the 49ers' injured reserve list after suffering torn ACL and MCL against the Kansas City Chiefs.
On October 9, All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga was also placed on injured reserve due to torn wrist ligaments. Michael Silver of The Athletic initially reported that sources were not optimistic about Hufanga returning to the field this season. However, he has since updated that information.
"Hufanga's agent Chris Cabott has since refuted this report, saying that Hufanga plans to return this season and play with a cast," Silver noted in a recent feature for The Athletic.
Hufanga's absence has paved the way for rookie safety Malik Mustapha. He has impressed his teammates with his performance this season.
"He looked great last game," defensive end Nick Bosa commented this week. "I didn't notice as much during the game, but I talked to my dad after, and he was like, 'Mustapha was flying around.' And then I watched the tape, and I saw that."
While we'll have to wait to see if Hufanga's return becomes a reality, Silver also mentioned that the 49ers do not expect defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to play again this season. This news isn't surprising, as there was only a slim chance of Hargrave returning. He landed on injured reserve on September 28 after suffering a partially torn triceps that required surgery.
After Hargrave's injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't completely rule out the possibility of a playoff return for the veteran defensive lineman.
"So when you get surgery, that's usually a few months at least," Shanahan said last month. "If there was a chance, it'd have to be late in the playoffs."
Nobody's perfect. Did you find a mistake in this article? Report it.
Comments
Do not use the comments to notify us of errors in the article. Editors may not see it. Instead, report errors here.
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers insider: Christian McCaffrey appears to be eyeing a post-bye return
By David Bonilla
Oct 20
According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, rehabbing San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey arrived at Levi's Stadium early on Sunday for a pre-game workout ahead of the matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. No, McCaffrey isn't preparing to play just...
NFL insider lists 49ers Deebo Samuel as possible trade deadline name to watch
By Marc Adams
Oct 19
The NFL trade deadline is just over two weeks away. A few trades have already been made, and some are wondering if the San Francisco 49ers will be trading for another piece to help them make another deep postseason run. But some are wondering if the 49ers might be sellers...
49ers insider: There's no rush to bring back Christian McCaffrey
By David Bonilla
Oct 17
The San Francisco 49ers enter Sunday's Super Bowl rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs at .500, certainly not where they hoped to be heading into Week 7. However, there's no sense of urgency to bring back their best offensive playmaker—running back Christian...
Ricky Pearsall's remarkable return: 49ers rookie reflects on road to NFL debut
By David Bonilla
Oct 20
Ricky Pearsall isn't used to missing football games, so the first six weeks of his rookie NFL season have been a challenging adjustment. On Sunday, the wide receiver finally made his NFL debut against the Kansas City Chiefs, catching his first pass late in the first half. The...