49ers S Talanoa Hufanga Assesses His Recovery from ACL Surgery

"The goal is to be ready by Week 1."

Nov 12, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga (29) during the warm ups before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports / Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports

SANTA CLARA -- Talanoa Hufanga tore his ACL last season and still is recovering from the surgery. Here's what the 49ers' All Pro safety said this week about his progress.

HUFANGA: "I'm feeling great. The days that I've been able to go out there and watch the practices have been a blessing. You see how much football truly means to you when you're away from it. It's everything to me. I love it."

Q: Do you have an idea of when you'll be fully cleared?

HUFANGA: "The goal is to be ready by Week 1. The goal is to be in training camp, not at the very beginning but to ramp me up correctly, not just throw me out there to the wolves and good luck. Try to be smart with it. We've had plenty of conversations with the training staff about putting me in the best possible situation to succeed."

Q: Is it hard for you to be patient with your recovery?

HUFANGA: "As a competitor, I would love to say that I would like to be out there right now. As my knee goes, it's just a slow progression, so you have to hit the stages and check off the boxes before you move to the next one. I do wish I was out there right now, and I can't wait to be back out there, but being patient is a big part of this process."

Q: When you can't do everything physcially that you want to do to get ready for the season, how do you mentally try to get yourself ahead of the game?

HUFANGA: "The amount of film I watch is second to none. I wasn't the most athletic person, so being one step ahead film wise and on the field, it's all a mental game to me. So taking these mental reps that these guys are getting, putting myself in their position, what I would do differently, what I would to emulate other guys who have made great plays in camp. For me, it's just being a student of the game."