Tag: Talanoa Hufanga

Giants named ideal fit for pair of defensive backs

The New York Giants need some veteran help in their young secondary and here are two players they could be targeting in free agency.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has used the NFL draft the past few seasons to reform his defensive backfield.

He’s used high draft picks to bring in fresh talents such as cornerbacks Deonte Banks, Andru Phillips, and Cor’Dale Flott and safety Tyler Nubin.

Schoen will likely continue to focus on the secondary in future drafts but will at some point have to supplement and/or augment the units with veteran free agents.

Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus believes that two impending San Francisco 49ers free agents could be on the Giants’ radar this March — cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Talanoa Hufanga.

The Giants could use a talented vet to pair with the inconsistent Banks. Ward appears to be a fit.

Ward’s overall body of work speaks for itself, as he has posted strong 80.0-plus grades in both 2022 and 2023, showcasing his reliability as a top-tier cornerback.

The Giants’ secondary desperately needs reinforcements after finishing 26th in team coverage grade last season. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s heavy use of Cover-3 (35.6%, eighth-highest in 2024) aligns well with Ward’s strengths. Over his career, he’s allowed just 0.83 yards per coverage snap in Cover-3, making him an ideal candidate to help revitalize New York’s defensive backfield.

The Giants aren’t sold on Banks, either. They could be looking for more than one potential starting corner this offseason.

With Jason Pinnock set for free agency, the Giants are seeking safety help as well to match with Nubin. Hufanga could be that player.

After battling injuries over the past two seasons, Hufanga’s performances have dipped, culminating in a career-low 57.8 overall grade in 2024. At just 26 years old, however, the safety still has time to regain his form and showcase his playmaking ability.

The Giants, looking to stabilize their secondary, recently hired former Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. Manuel has had success with single-high defensive schemes, something the Giants may hope to emulate with Hufanga.

The Giants could very well retain Pinnock and they still have Dane Belton under contract, so the addition of Hufanga would help solidify the unit.

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49ers options with all 33 of their 2025 free agents

What the 49ers can do with each of their 33 free agents.

The San Francisco 49ers have a handful of difficult decisions to make when it comes to their collection of free agents in the 2025 offseason.

With Brock Purdy’s contract extension on the horizon, the 49ers’ ability to retain high-priced free agents will get tricky. This offseason they’ll have 33 players set to hit the free agent market, but not every free agent-to-be falls under the same rules. San Francisco will have more control over some than others.

Of those 33 players set to hit the market, 24 will be unrestricted free agents. Two are set for restricted free agency, and seven will be exclusive-rights free agents.

Here’s a quick look at each category of free agent and which 49ers players fall into that group:

Unrestricted

Unrestricted free agents are exactly what they sound like. They’re fully on the open market and if they choose to walk the 49ers have no recourse to keep them in the building.

QB Brandon Allen
QB Joshua Dobbs
RB Elijah Mitchell
RB Patrick Taylor
WR Chris Conley
TE Eric Saubert
OL Aaron Banks
OL Ben Bartch
OL Jon Feliciano
OL Charlie Heck
OL Jaylon Moore
DL Khalil Davis
DL Kevin Givens
DL Javon Hargrave
LB De’Vondre Campbell
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
LB Dre Greenlaw
CB Nick McCloud
CB Charvarius Ward
CB Rock Ya-Sin
CB Isaac Yiadom
S Tashaun Gipson
S Talanoa Hufanga
P Pat O’Donnell

Restricted

The 49ers will have a little more say over what happens with their RFAs. There are three RFA tenders: first round, second round and right of first refusal. If an RFA doesn’t receive a tender, they become unrestricted.

If they do receive a tender, the player can explore the open market. The 49ers would have the right to match any deal they get. If another team signs a player with a first or second round tender, they’d owe San Francisco their pick in that round of this year’s draft.

Players who sign those tenders will be on one-year, fully-guaranteed deals. First-round tenders are worth a projected $7,279,000 according to Over the Cap. Second-round tenders are $5,217,000. The right of first refusal tender for 2025 is $3,185,000.

Another benefit for RFAs who sign their tenders is the added runway to work out a long-term extension.

RB Jordan Mason
LB Curtis Robinson

Exclusive rights

ERFAs are typically going to return to their previous team. The 49ers can give them a qualifying offer and it locks the player in. If the QO is not extended, they become an unrestricted free agent.

TE Jake Tonges
TE Brayden Willis
OL Austen Pleasants
DL Evan Anderson
DL Alex Barrett
DL Sam Okuayinonu
LB Jalen Graham

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49ers have tough decisions to make with 2 star free agents

San Francisco is weighing stardom vs. availability when evaluating LB Dre Greenlaw and S Talanoa Hufanga’s pending free agencies.

San Francisco will have a series of franchise-altering decisions to make when the 2025 offseason arrives.

Among those are what to do with pending defensive free agents in linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga.

Greenlaw has been a staple of San Francisco’s defense during his six seasons with the franchise. Alongside Fred Warner, Greenlaw has helped form one of the NFL’s best linebacking duos.

Even before his Achilles injury in Super Bowl LVIII that sidelined him until last Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, Greenlaw’s career has been hampered by nagging quad, groin, calf and hamstring injuries. Since being selected in the 2019 NFL draft, Greenlaw has missed 34 games.

The results speak for themselves, though. As ESPN’s Nick Wagoner shared, San Francisco’s defense limits opponents to 19.7 points per game and boasts a 44-19 record in its 63 regular season games with Greenlaw.

In the 34 games without Greenlaw, San Francisco is just 16-18 and allows 21.1 points per game.

Selected in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, Hufanga was a first-team All-Pro in the 2022 season. Hufanga has played in just four games this season and entered the year working his way back from a torn ACL in his right knee that ended his 2023 season in November of last year.

After returning from his ACL injury to begin the 2024 campaign, subsequent ankle and wrist injuries shelved him for most of this season.

On Wednesday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked how the team will weigh the duo’s respective star power against their availability when the offseason and their pending free agencies arrive.

“That goes into factoring everything. That’s what’s unfortunate. Nothing those two guys can do differently about it. But those are two of the better players I’ve been around and two of the better players on our team and two of the main reasons we’ve had the success here we’ve had. So, hopefully we can do everything we can to work out keeping them here because they’re as much of examples of 49ers as anyone I can think of,” Shanahan said.

It’s clear that Shanahan has an affinity for the duo and would like to keep both Greenlaw and Hufanga around.

Shanahan wasn’t surprised that both stepped right in and played well in their respective returns either.

“That’s what they’ve done the other times. One of the best games I’ve seen a linebacker play is, I think ’21, when Dre played in Week One versus Detroit and didn’t come back until Week 17 versus the Rams. We needed that game to go to the playoffs and that was the first time I’ve seen someone miss 16 games and come back and play at that level. So it doesn’t surprise me at all,” Shanahan said of Greenlaw.

“Huf’s, he came back earlier in this year and with having a wrist injury and stuff, he’s been able to get ready for this opportunity a little bit more than coming off his ACL that he had before that. So Huf’s been chomping at the bit to get back and he was more ready for that moment.”

In his season debut, Greenlaw played just 30 defensive snaps before exiting with knee and Achilles soreness, but he racked up a quick eight tackles and the 49ers limited the Rams to just 12 points.

Hufanga tallied five tackles in a 38-13 blowout win over the Chicago Bears in Week 14. San Francisco held Chicago to just four yards of first-half offense in that victory over the Bears, which was the lowest mark of any NFL offense in a first half this season.

Then, against the Rams last week, Hufanga totaled eight tackles and 1.5 stuffs.

Even with possible free agency looming, Shanahan said that pair can help provide an energy to the 49ers’ locker room during these final three games of the season.

“A ton. I think you guys can see how, I think Huf going out there the Sunday before, and I think our safeties have played pretty good this year too, but just Huf the person and his communication and just having him out there I think was very inspiring.

“And then adding Dre the next week, or four days later, one, how good of a player he is and how big of a difference he makes just from that, but the style of how he plays really adds to our defense and makes everyone else better around him, not just adding a good player,” Shanahan said.

San Francisco (6-8) hopes that the spark from that duo can roll on into this week when the 49ers travel to Miami (6-8) to battle the Dolphins from Hard Rock Stadium. Kickoff on Sunday is set for 1:25 p.m. PT.

49ers may have new starting safety duo after All-Pro returns

The 49ers rolled out a new starting safeties combination on Sunday.

The San Francisco 49ers throttled the Chicago Bears on Sunday, 38-13.

After back-to-back forgettable defensive performances in losses at the Green Bay Packers and at the Buffalo Bills, the 49ers returned home to Levi’s Stadium and put together a first-half performance for the ages.

San Francisco limited Chicago to four yards of total offense and one first down in the first half. Chicago’s four yards of offense were the fewest by any NFL team in a first half this season, while San Francisco’s 319 yards of offense were the most of any NFL team in a first half this season.

The 315-yard margin was the highest by a 49ers team in any half over the past 40 seasons.

Part of the recipe to create that level of dominance was San Francisco’s new combination of starting safeties in fourth-year pro Talanoa Hufanga and in rookie Malik Mustapha.

After missing the past seven games with a right wrist injury, Hufanga returned against the Bears and registered five tackles. Meanwhile, Mustapha tallied five tackles of his own.

According to Pro Football Focus, Mustapha registered 45 defensive snaps and Hufanga totaled 39. Former starting safety Ji’Ayir Brown tallied 15 defensive snaps.

On Monday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan shared why he opted in favor of Mustapha over Brown.

“Just how Malik’s been playing. I think he’s been playing at a high level. He’s been one of the better players on our defense, I think, here over the last month or so. So it’s nothing against Tig. We still want Tig to be out there, but when we had to make a decision, we kept Mustapha out there,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan was also pleased with the way Hufanga jumped right back into the fold for the 49ers.

“I thought he did a real good job. Loved having Huf back. Even the first play of the game, for him to get in on that tackle. His communication, everything, just helping the defense get lined up and stuff is extremely good and it was a real good first game for him,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan made it clear that the decision to pair Hufanga and Mustapha wasn’t an indictment on Brown’s production.

“No, I think it’s the same as last year. I think Tig’s playing like a good starting safety. We just, Huf’s been our guy there and has done some big things when he’s been healthy, as everyone knows with Huf.

“And Huf had a great week of practice and we wanted to get him on the field and we had to choose one guy to come off. So, we thought Mustapha had earned that over his play the last month to stay out there and we’re good with our decision,” Shanahan said.

As San Francisco (6-7) navigates a short week before its Thursday night date versus the Los Angeles Rams (7-6), the 49ers are hoping for good injury news with the aforementioned Mustapha.

Mustapha was a limited participant with a chest and shoulder ailment in San Francisco’s initial injury report versus the Rams.

Kickoff against Los Angeles is set for 5:15 p.m. PT in Santa Clara, Calif., with the game set to air on Prime Video.

Some good news for 49ers on 1st Week 14 practice report

49ers practice report for Wednesday is here:

The San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday began their week of practice as they gear up for what amounts to a season-ending stretch of must-win games if they hope to sneak into the postseason.

Their first practice report of the week had a handful of good news with linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga both appearing as limited participants. Greenlaw is returning from a torn Achilles he suffered in the Super Bowl. He had his 21-day practice window opened last week in hopes he’ll be able to return from the PUP list in time to play in 2024.

Hufanga hurt his wrist in Week 5 and went on IR. He had his 21-day practice window opened and also appeared as a limited participant.

Both players are due to hit free agency in the offseason, so getting on the field to end the year may be a priority for them even if the 49ers don’t have anything to play for down the stretch.

Quarterback Brock Purdy was also a full participant after returning last week from a shoulder injury. He didn’t suffer any setbacks during the game and figures to be on track to suit up against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Here’s the full practice report:

Did not participate

LG Aaron Banks (concussion)
DE Nick Bosa (hip, oblique)
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee)
RB Jordan Mason (ankle)
LT Trent Williams (ankle)

Mason figures to go on IR with a high ankle sprain he suffered in Week 13. Bosa and Williams have missed the last two weeks, and both will be evaluated throughout the week to determine whether they’ll be able to return in Week 14.

Limited participation

LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles)
S Talanoa Hufanga (wrist)
CB Deommodore Lenoir (knee)

Lenoir missed Week 13 after hurting his knee the previous week. It looks like he’s trending toward a Week 14 return.

Full participation

DT Jordan Elliott (concussion)
DE Sam Okuayinonu (wrist)
RG Dominick Puni (shoulder)
QB Brock Purdy (shoulder)

Good signs all around here. Barring a setback this quartet will play against Chicago.

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49ers free agency prediction: Former All-Pro walks for big contract

The 49ers have telegraphed their plans at safety.

The San Francisco 49ers have been telegraphing their plans in the back end of their secondary since the 2023 draft, and those plans don’t involve bringing back former All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga.

In the 2023 draft they weren’t slated to pick until late in Round 3, but they traded up to the No. 87 overall pick where they selected safety Ji’Ayir Brown. His versatile skill set made him an easy fit in the 49ers defense, and they needed to get younger at that position.

They affirmed their commitment to their plans in the 2024 draft when they used a fourth-round pick to select safety Malik Mustapha. That choice confirmed Hufanga’s time in San Francisco wouldn’t likely last beyond his rookie contract, which is up after the 2024 season.

Choosing to move on from Hufanga isn’t because he hasn’t had a strong four seasons with the 49ers. He was a quality special teams contributor as a rookie, then earned a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2022 in his first season as a starter on defense.

Injuries cut his 2023 season short and may cost him a majority of the 2024 campaign, but he’s still a quality player who will likely earn a contract in free agency north of what the 49ers can afford.

At some point the 49ers have to decide where they’re going to trim their roster financially, and the two safety spots are an easy choice given the other talent they’ve paid on the defensive side of the ball. That they used two draft picks at the position was confirmation they’d be going with rookie contracts at the two safety spots.

There’s always a chance Hufanga’s market is muted and he returns to the 49ers, which gives San Francisco a good problem on their depth chart. However, his penchant for generating turnovers and creating big plays for a defense should make him a valuable asset on the free agent market. If there’s even a handful of teams interested, his value will quickly sail above what the 49ers can realistically afford.

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49ers All-Pro predicted to cut ties with San Francisco, join Saints

49ers All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga was predicted to cut ties with San Francisco and join the New Orleans Saints in 2025 free agency:

Never say never, but it could be tough for the New Orleans Saints to rationalize some big moves in 2025 free agency. Between needing a new head coach and the salary cap costs of past decisions, they might be better served sitting out another spending cycle to get their books in order.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t sign any new faces. And if they do go after a blue-chip player in free agency, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has a great fit in mind. Knox argues San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga could be just what the Saints defense has been missing:

The Saints—who tapped into the San Francisco pipeline with edge-rusher Chase Young and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak this offseason—could be very interested if Hufanga is available.

“The Saints could use some safety help and Tyrann Mathieu could be another cap casualty this offseason,” Holder wrote.

New Orleans, however, will have to free up a lot of cap space to pursue any marquee free agent. The Saints are projected to be $77 million over the 2025 cap.

The Colts should also be interested in adding a playmaker like Hufanga. Nick Cross has been a tackling machine in Indy this season but has too often been a liability in coverage. Hufanga’s ball skills and versatility would make him a great addition to the Colts’ secondary.

Injuries have limited Hufanga to a dozen games through 2023 and 2024, though he’s expected to return later this season. The 2022 All-Pro makes plays all over the field with 7 interceptions, 14 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 2 sacks to go with 189 combined tackles (7 tackles for loss). But while he could be a viable replacement for Mathieu as a roving defender who can line up at any depth, he’s played his best football hanging back over the top of the defense. They could coexist.

Still, getting out from under tens of millions of dollars in negative salary cap space will be a challenge. The Saints will need to accomplish that before they can begin looking for help on the free agent market. But when you look at the players they have added recently like Chase Young, Khalen Saunders, and Willie Gay Jr., Hufanga fits the bill as an obviously talented playmaker with a bit of an injury history. Maybe he ends up in New Orleans after all.

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Report: 49ers don’t believe former All-Pro defender will return in 2024

The San Francisco 49ers may be without one of their defensive starters for the rest of 2024.

The San Francisco 49ers may have to navigate the rest of the 2024 season with a pair of young players holding down the back end of their secondary.

Strong safety Talanoa Hufanga was placed on IR after suffering torn wrist ligaments in the 49ers’ Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. It initially sounded like there was optimism he’d be back, but the Athletic’s Mike Silver reported the team doesn’t anticipate Hufanga returning this season.

Silver later reported Hufanga’s agent believes the safety will aim to play with a cast “in a few weeks.”

If Hufanga doesn’t play again in 2024, it would mark two seasons in a row cut short by season-ending injuries. In 2023 he suffered a torn ACL in Week 11 that wound up costing him the rest of 2023 and the first two weeks of this season. He returned from the ACL tear in Week 3, turned his ankle in practice before Week 4 and missed that game, then hurt his wrist in Week 5 to complete a string of brutal injury luck.

It may also mark the end of Hufanga’s time in San Francisco.

The 2021 fifth-round pick is in the final year of his rookie contract, and the 49ers have used two mid-round draft picks on safeties in each of the last two drafts – an indication they anticipated losing Hufanga in free agency after the 2024 campaign.

Without Hufanga, 2023 third-round pick Ji’Ayir Brown and rookie fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha will hold down the two starting safety spots.

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49ers injury news: Talanoa Hufanga officially placed on IR

Talanoa Hufanga is out at least four weeks.

The San Francisco 49ers made a couple of roster moves Wednesday ahead of their Thursday night matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.

Starting strong safety Talanoa Hufanga was placed on IR. Tight end Brayden Willis was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad in a corresponding move.

Hufanga tore ligaments in his wrist early in the 49ers’ Week 5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He left the game in the first half and never returned.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters in a press conference Tuesday that Hufanga would miss about a month with the injury. By going on IR he’ll now be required to miss four weeks before his 21-day practice window can be opened.

The earliest Hufanga can return is in Week 10 after the bye when the 49ers visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Rookie fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha figures to start in his stead after taking over for him in Week 5.

Willis’s promotion is interesting and may indicate a change in plan for the 49ers on offense moving forward. Their run game has put up good box score numbers, but they’ve had more pass attempts than rush attempts this year and their ability to get into second or third-and-short has been diminished.

By bringing Willis up the 49ers may be planning on using more multiple TE sets to try and get their run game going. Willis is a good enough pass catcher that he may impact the game there as well if he’s continued improving on the 49ers’ practice squad.

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49ers will be without superstar defender vs. Seahawks

49ers will be without superstar defender vs. Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks may be without the services of several high-end defenders against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football. General manager John Schneider placed outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu on IR, ruling him out for a minimum of four contests. Rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy II has also been ruled out. Cornerback Riq Woolen and edge Derick Hall are also at risk of missing out after being sidelined during Tuesday’s practice.

Luckily for the Seahawks, they’re not the only ones that will be missing critical defenders for Thursday’s divisional showdown. Superstar 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga will miss approximately one month with torn ligaments in his wrist. Kyle Shanahan confirmed the news on Tuesday.

Hufanga suffered the injury in Sunday’s defeat to the Arizona Cardinals. The former USC standout played just 11 snaps before exiting with the injury. Without their game-changing safety in the fold, the 49ers blew a sizable second-half lead.

Hufanga has recorded eight tackles this season. Veteran safety George Odum and rookie Malik Mustapha are expected to play more snaps in his absence. On Sunday against the Cardinals, it was Mustapha that replaced Hufanga.

The 49ers will also be without kicker Jake Moody, who suffered an ankle sprain. Cornerback Charvarius Ward (knee), tight end George Kittle (ribs), linebacker Fred Warner (ankle), wide receiver Chris Conley (oblique) and safety Ji’Ayir Brown (ankle) are also on the 49ers injury report ahead of Thursday.

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