It's been a long journey for Talanoa Hufanga, and the finish line is in sight. Earlier in the offseason, the San Francisco 49ers hoped he would be on the field with his teammates for the Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets. His activation from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list during the team's roster cut-down was a positive sign that his recovery from the ACL injury suffered in November 2023 was progressing well.
However, a Week 1 return might have been overly optimistic. Hufanga had anticipated returning to the practice field earlier in training camp but only returned as a limited participant this week.
"He will go out with an individual and stuff," Shanahan said before Hufanga's first practice back. "We won't throw him in against anybody, but he'll be able to do all the drills and stuff on air with other players and coaches for the first time.
"And we'll probably do the same thing tomorrow and then evaluate next week. I think Tuesday is our first day, whether we want to get him in going against anyone."
If Hufanga can't start, defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen will likely pair veteran George Odum with second-year safety Ji'Ayir Brown against the Jets. That duo might hold down the starting roles in the defensive backfield until Hufanga is ready.
The team also signed safety Tracy Walker to the practice squad. They plan to elevate him to the active roster for Week 1 as a key depth piece in case Hufanga isn't ready.
Former Lions S Tracy Walker is signing to the 49ers practice squad with the intention of being called up for week 1, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 28, 2024
San Francisco doesn't want to rush their recovering All-Pro safety back onto the football field, preferring to prioritize his long-term health and ensure he's fully ready to contribute at his highest level when he returns.
"We're going to be judicious, going to be smart," general manager John Lynch said. "He's done a fabulous job with his rehab, and he's been doing everything he can to the side. Today's a big step, get him back at practice. I think Kyle said earlier, we'll get him through individual, won't throw too much [at him]. You kind of like to phase that in.
"Will he be ready Week 1? Not sure. I think it's going to be tight, but I think it's telling that we made the decision not to keep him on PUP, bring him off, and we expect him somewhere early in the season. So, real proud of Huf and his progress. He makes us a better team, so it'll be great to have him."
