Tag: Malik Mustapha

49ers may turn to familiar face at safety as standout rookie battles injury

There may be a familiar face back in the secondary for the 49ers on Sunday.

The San Francisco 49ers recently brought a familiar face back onto their practice squad. Now they may need to turn to that familiar face in their Week 10 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tashaun Gipson was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars and quickly scooped up by the 49ers to join their practice squad. He offered good internal depth San Francisco knew it could rely on after he spent the 2022 and 2023 campaigns as the 49ers’ starting free safety.

Rookie Malik Mustapha has stepped into a starting role nicely after veteran Talanoa Hufanga went down with a wrist injury. Now Mustapha is dealing with an injury of his own, opening the door for Gipson to get back on the roster for game day.

Mustapha suffered a calf injury that limited him in Thursday and Friday’s practices. He’s officially listed as ‘questionable.’ Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday told reporters Gipson is a potential replacement for Mustapha if the rookie can’t go Sunday.

“Yeah, he is in the mix,” Shanahan said. “Especially with Mustapha being questionable. He got a week in practice at Jacksonville, he’s done awesome this week in his three days. And we’ll discuss that with him over these next 24 hours. It’s nicer being on the east coast, we get until four o’clock instead of one. But those are all things that he looks good enough to do it. Just kind of depends on the health of everyone else.”

Gipson spent most of the preseason with the Jaguars after signing in mid-August. He didn’t appear in a game for them before getting released in early November.

He played in 33 games across two seasons with the 49ers, and registered six interceptions with 11 pass breakups.

The 49ers and Buccaneers are slated to kick off at 10:00am Pacific Time from Raymond James Stadium.

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Hard-hitting rookie standing out to 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan

The rookie out of Wake Forest recorded a team-high 12 tackles against the Chiefs.

During their ugly loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch on Sunday, one of the bright spots for the San Francisco 49ers was the play of rookie safety Malik Mustapha.
The rookie out of Wake Forest led the 49ers in tackles with 12. Along with leading the team in tackles, Mustapha helped provide a spark to the defense with some physicality and highlight-worthy hits.
Yet, his breakout performance was curbed by Mustapha being on the wrong end of a run from Patrick Mahomes. Late in the game, Mahomes ran for a Chiefs touchdown. On his way to the endzone, the Chiefs quarterback ran over Mustapha at the goal line. After the game, Mustapha quickly took to Twitter with a joke about being run over by Mahomes.
On Wednesday when asked about Mustapha, head coach Kyle Shanahan had praise for the 49ers’ rookie safety. Shanahan said he thinks Mustapha played one of the better games of his rookie season. Shanahan also commented on Mustapha getting trucked by Mahomes at the end of the game.
Oh, he’s been awesome. I thought he played a really good game. I thought he had one of the better games on our team. I thought he had some really good hits. He got in an unfortunate position on the goal line, but that’s what I like about him. He’s not going to sit there and take a creative angle, even if he’s not in position to have his legs under him he’s going to just throw his body out there and do whatever he can. And unfortunately, you’ve got to deal with social media these days. But I haven’t had to deal with it, so I don’t know how bad it is for him. I thought he had one of his better games.
During Sunday’s Week 7 contest, Mustapha punished Chiefs playmakers with multiple big hits that echoed through Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Shanahan said Mustapha uses a “sprint tackle.”
Yeah, you can hear it, you can see it. He’s one of those guys that, we call it a sprint-tackle. He doesn’t really, you have a long-stride to eat up the grass and a short-stride to kind of hit guys and he’s just long-stride. He kind of goes right through them and there’s one speed and that’s the best way to tackle guys, as long as you don’t miss.
With secondary-leader Talanoa Hufanga dealing with a wrist injury, the 49ers will continue to lean on the rookie safety as an anchor on the back end of their defense.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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49ers DB Malik Mustapha takes to Twitter after getting trucked by Patrick Mahomes

Check out what #49ers DB Malik Mustapha had to say on Twitter after getting trucked on a touchdown run by #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in Week 7

Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a Week 7 victory in a Super Bowl LVIII rematch against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon.

Though the reigning Super Bowl MVP’s performance was imperfect, his ability to improvise helped extend the Chiefs’ lead late in the game to help Kansas City stay on top of the ever-threatening 49ers.

In an iconic turn of events, Mahomes took matters into his own hands and trucked San Francisco defensive back Malik Mustapha to score an impressive touchdown that helped seal the game in the Chiefs’ favor.

Take a look at Mahomes’ ‘angry run’ in this video that was posted to Twitter by the Chiefs’ official account:

 

Mustapha chimed in on the matter in a post of his own on Sunday night, indicating that he knew Mahomes had won the battle of brawn on this particular play.

 

Stay tuned to see if Mahomes can continue his run of dominance against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8.

Chiefs vs. 49ers: Patrick Mahomes trucks Malik Mustapha for impressive TD

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes wasn’t afraid to get physical against #49ers DB Malik Mustapha to score a touchdown in Week 7.

The Kansas City Chiefs offense had largely stalled in Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII rematch against the San Francisco 49ers until quarterback Patrick Mahomes took matters into his own hands.

With very little going for Kansas City heading into the fourth quarter, the reigning Super Bowl MVP got creative in the ground game, picking up some much-needed yardage to put the Chiefs near the end zone.

When Kansas City seemed to stall on the goal line, Mahomes decided to scramble between his offensive linemen and truck 49ers defensive back Malik Mustapha to extend the Chiefs lead.

Check out Mahomes’ heroic efforts that kept Kansas City ahead in these videos, which were posted to Twitter by the Chiefs’ official account:

Despite his two interceptions in the game, Mahomes helped keep his team ahead with these outstanding efforts.

Stay tuned to see if Mahomes and Kansas City can hang on to remain undefeated heading into their Week 8 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on October 27.

 

Kyle Shanahan confirms injury diagnosis for 49ers RB, team may need new kicker

Some 49ers injury updates for ya.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Friday in a conference call that running back Jordan Mason avoided a major shoulder injury in the 49ers’ win over the Seahawks on Thursday night.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday morning reported Mason is dealing with an AC joint sprain in his shoulder. Shanahan said Mason is officially day-to-day with that sprain. He has a chance to suit up in Week 7 when the 49ers host the Kansas City Chiefs.

That wasn’t the only good news for the 49ers on the injury front. Rookie safety Malik Mustapha, who left Thursday’s game with an ankle injury, is only dealing with a low ankle sprain. He’s day-to-day and could be ready to go after the mini-bye following the Thursday night game. Mustapha posted his first career interception in the first quarter against the Seahawks.

On the other hand, the 49ers may be in search of another kicker.

Matthew Wright was signed to replace Jake Moody after Moody suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 5. On the final kick return of the game Thursday night, Wright was forced to step up and make a tackle. He dislocated his shoulder briefly. The team is still awaiting test results before determining whether he’ll be available in Week 7.

If Wright can’t go in Week 7, the 49ers will need to sign another kicker.

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49ers injury news immediately following win over Seahawks

The rookie safety was ruled out against the Seahawks after suffering an ankle injury.

While the San Francisco 49ers secured a much-needed win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football, the injury bug continued to roll in Seattle on Thursday.

Multiple players, including breakout running back Jordan Mason and rookie defensive back Malik Mustapha exited the game against the Seahawks on Thursday night.

Following the game, Kyle Shanahan provided some injury updates regarding some of the players who missed time against the Seahawks. Jordan Mason suffered a shoulder injury. He did return after exiting the game, but played only one snap in the second half. Shanahan told reporters that Mason could play again if needed.

Starting guard Aaron Banks dealt with cramps against the Seahawks. New kicker Matthew Wright suffered a shoulder injury.

After securing the first interception of his career, 49ers rookie safety Malik Mustapha was ruled out for the remainder of the contest. After the game, Shanahan revealed Mustapha suffered a low ankle sprain.

Via @HollowayNFLN on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/HollowayNFLN/status/1844585296996008301

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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49ers rookie secures first career interception on Thursday Night Football vs. Seahawks

The 49ers rookie secured his first career interception in primetime against the Seahawks.

With Talanoa Hufanga and Charvarius Ward sidelined, the San Francisco 49ers’ needed a player from their secondary to step up against Geno Smith, DK Metcalf and the Seattle Seahawks high-powered offense on Thursday Night Football. A rookie in the 49ers secondary answered the bell.

With the Seahawks threatening on the opening drive of the game, Malik Mustapha sparked the 49ers defense with a timely turnover. Smith sailed a pass toward Tyler Lockett, which ended up in Mustapha’s hands in the endzone.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

The fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest secured his first interception in the second start of his young career. Following Mustapha’s interception, the 49ers capitalized with a field goal to take the first lead of the game on Thursday night against the Seahawks.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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49ers injury update: SS Talanoa Hufanga out with torn wrist ligaments

Talanoa Hufanga has a wrist injury that will cause him to miss time.

The San Francisco 49ers will once again have to navigate life without former All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Tuesday told reporters in a press conference that Hufanga has torn ligaments in his wrist and will miss about a month, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Hufanga injured his wrist in the first half of the 49ers’ Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He left to the locker room and was quickly ruled out – an indication that the injury might be at least semi-serious.

It’s been a rough go for the 2022 All-Pro over the last couple of years. He tore his ACL in Week 11 last season and wasn’t able to return during training camp. He wound up missing the 49ers’ first two games this season.

Hufanga made it through his Week 3 debut healthy, but rolled his ankle in practice in the lead-up to Week 4 and wasn’t able to play in the team’s win over the New England Patriots. He returned in Week 5 where he hurt his wrist early.

Now he’ll miss a month, which could mean he’s out only three games. The 49ers face the Seahawks on Thursday, then host the Chiefs on Oct. 20 and the Cowboys on Oct. 27. Then they have a bye week and return on Nov. 10 against the Buccaneers in Tampa, which would be the earliest he’s able to come back.

In the meantime it’s likely that rookie Malik Mustapha will fill in as the starter after snagging that job away from veteran George Odum. Odum was the starter throughout camp and in the first two weeks. Mustapha took all the defensive snaps for San Francisco after Hufanga’s Week 5 injury.

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49ers rookie has officially jumped up depth chart after earning Week 4 start

The 49ers had a new starter on Sunday, an indicator that their depth chart has changed.

The San Francisco 49ers’ blowout win over the New England Patriots in Week 4 began with an interesting wrinkle.

Strong safety Talanoa Hufanga was ruled out of the contest with an ankle injury he suffered in Thursday’s practice. That opened the door for a new starter to jump into that role.

For the first two weeks it was veteran George Odum in the starting spot while Hufanga finished his recovery from an ACL tear he suffered last season. This week was different.

With Hufanga nursing an ankle issue, the 49ers turned to rookie fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha as their starter.

“Yeah, we thought he was ready for it,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said in a press conference after the game. “When him and (Odum) G.O. were going, we started rotating him a little, I think the second week. He’s been doing awesome in practice. We started to mix him in there in game two. I think (Hufanga) Huf came back in game three, so we didn’t need to do it. But when we found out Huf couldn’t play today, we knew he was next man up.”

Mustapha rotated in and actually out-snapped Odum in Week 2, but he didn’t see much action in Week 3.

In Week 4 he was the strong safety, an indicator that he’s eclipsed Odum on the depth chart and has firmly grasped the No. 3 safety spot where the club will turn to him if there’s an injury. They may also start sprinkling in some three-safety looks where Mustapha is on the field with Hufanga and Ji’Ayir Brown.

For now he’s steadily climbing the depth chart. Barring a major injury he’ll be the No. 3 safety the rest of this year, but his rise bodes well for his chances to snag a starting job in 2025.

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2 49ers rookies may see more playing time after Week 2 debuts

Could these 49ers rookies see more playing time after their brief Week 2 outings?

A pair of San Francisco 49ers rookies made their debuts on the defensive side of the ball in Week 2.

Cornerback Renardo Green and safety Malik Mustapha both saw action on defense against the Minnesota Vikings after only playing on special teams in the season opener vs. the New York Jets.

Green played four snaps as a fourth cornerback. Mustapha rotated in at strong safety with veteran George Odum and played 31 snaps.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday that both players could see similar roles against the Rams depending on how their game plan shakes out.

“Possibly. They have to be ready, always, in case of an injury,” Shanahan said. “I could say they don’t have any plans to play or to go in and then one play happens and they’re in the rest of the game. It was nice to mix Malik in last week. I thought he did well with his reps. Renardo came in on a couple of dime packages and he did well with his reps too. So possibly with the scheme, whatever that is this week, we can keep building off that. But if not, they’re always one play away from playing the rest of the game.”

Green is still behind Isaac Yiadom on the 49ers’ depth chart, and it doesn’t sound like he’s going to pass him despite a tough game from Yiadom in Minnesota. If the rookie second-round pick does play it’ll likely be in the dime package like the one he played in against the Vikings.

Mustapha is a more interesting case because starting strong safety Talanoa Hufanga is expected to return in Week 3. However, Hufanga’s workload is still a question mark. If he ends up not playing a full complement of snaps, we could see Mustapha rotate in as the backup.

Regardless of their roles in 2024, both Green and Mustapha figure to play big parts in the 49ers’ defense in 2025 and beyond.

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