49ers Place Talanoa Hufanga on Injured Reserve

The 49ers are placing Talanoa Hufanga on Injured Reserve, which will render him inactive for at least the next four games.

Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga (29) before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers are placing Talanoa Hufanga on Injured Reserve. Hufanga suffered a wrist injury that involved ligament tears in the Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

On Monday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said they are expecting to be without Hufanga for at least a month on a conference call. The writing was on the wall from the moment he said that. It's unclear if Hufanga will require surgery for his injury. Given the severity, it might be necessary.

The 49ers will be without Hufanga for at least the next four games. Starting in his place will be rookie Malik Mustapha. He's done a decent job with his opportunities, but needs to improve in one area drastically so he doesn't become a liability. Should he falter, the 49ers could look to veteran George Odum again.

You have to sympathize with Hufanga now that he's on Injured Reserve. He had worked tirelessly to get back to the field from a torn ACL. He made his 2024 debut in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. Then, an ankle injury knocked him out of the lineup against the New England Patriots. Now, it's a wrist injury that will render him inactive for the next four games and possibly longer.

Hufanga barely got to play for roughly a game and a half. That has to be killing him mentally. In his limited action, he wasn't looking too sharp. He played a role in Kyler Murray's 50-yard touchdown run. He took the poorest angle to get to Murray, which is unacceptable for a safety.

Still, there is a rust element that plays a factor. There was a chance for him to improve as the season went on. Now, there is a real chance that he won't make his return this season. The 49ers don't have to use one of their Injured Reserve activations on him. Everything is fluid since it is unclear if he needs surgery.

All eyes will be on the rookie Mustapha to see if he can step up and bring stability.