The San Francisco 49ers enter the 2025 campaign looking to redeem themselves. Last season, they went 6-11, so they underwent a lot of changes. Many came on the defensive side of the ball with Robert Saleh replacing Nick Sorensen at defensive coordinator.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, and cornerback Charvarius Ward all left in free agency, leading the way for other guys to step up.
Safety Malik Mustapha was a prime candidate to replace Hufanga in the secondary, but some bad news on his knee came out after the draft. He's not expected to return to the field until midseason, considering he tore his ACL in Week 18.
This news didn't get announced until after the draft, which is alarming. Surprisingly enough, the 49ers didn't take a safety until the fifth round with Marques Sigle from Kansas State.
Regardless, Sigle may be thrust into a role earlier than anticipated. ESPN's Nick Wagoner added that an MRI revealed Mustapha tore a graft that was put in his knee during the 2022 season at Wake Forest. When that was discovered, he underwent surgery to fix the issue.
This is a gut punch for both Mustapha and the 49ers. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft and played in 16 games (12 starts) last season. In those outings, the 22-year-old had 72 total tackles, five pass breakups, and one interception. According to PFF, Mustapha posted a 63.9 overall grade (84th among 171 eligible defenders) and a 60.1 coverage grade (93rd among 171 eligible defenders).
San Francisco was hoping he would take over for Hufanga and give them an in-house replacement, but that doesn't appear to be the case in the early months. Even though he will still play in 2025, missing multiple weeks isn't the right way to kick off the season.
He will be focused on rehab instead of being out on the field with his teammates. Missing time is never a positive sign for anyone on the team, and Mustapha's stock has taken a hit because of it.