The 49ers cleared Talanoa Hufanga to practice this week, but his status for the season opener remains in question. Hufanga is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season roughly 9 months ago. And from all reports, his rehab has gone well.
Hufanga is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season roughly 9 months ago. And from all reports, his rehab has gone well. But the 49ers don't want to rush him.
“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. You kind of like to phase that in. Will he be ready Week One? Not sure.
The 49ers defense took a major hit last season after Hufanga went down. He's one of their best playmakers, not to mention one of their best run defenders. It's not easy to replace him. If Hufanga can't play Week 1, the 49ers most likely will start veteran George Odum who took the majority of the first-string reps during training camp. Or, the 49ers could start rookie Malik Mustapha who had some extremely good moments during the preseason.Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011.
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