The San Francisco 49ers can finally turn the page to the 2025 season with the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror. While that is a positive step forward, the 49ers were handed some terrible injury news quickly after the draft.
It was reported that safety Malik Mustapha re-injured his ACL, which required surgery at the end of the year, and his availability for the beginning of the season is in doubt. The timing of the news is terrible. If this had happened earlier, the 49ers could have looked in the draft for some depth, but that wasn't the case.
Despite the reporting around the injury that has come out, Mustapha's mother gave some optimism about his injury. She tweeted, "Don't be surprised if it's more like week 1 but hoping for minicamp. Stay Faithful."
#49ers Malik Mustapha’s mom offers major optimism in regards to her son’s return from injury 🙏🏼❤️🩹 pic.twitter.com/6b4TnHcDow
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) April 27, 2025
Malik Mustapha’s Mom Gave Some Optimism Regarding His Return
Mustapha tore his ACL in the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals, which wasn't ideal. His mother saying they are hoping for minicamp is certainly wishful thinking. Mandatory minicamp is scheduled from June 4-6, and based on the reporting that has come out, that doesn't appear to be likely.
Week 1 is another conversation since that is five months away. Whether or not that is a reasonable deadline remains to be seen, but it looks like they are taking a positive mindset regarding this situation.
The 49ers have a void at safety since Talanoa Hufanga left in free agency to sign with the Denver Broncos. Mustapha was expected to step in and take over as the starter. He was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and appeared in 16 games as a rookie.
In those outings, he had 72 total tackles, five pass deflections, and one interception. According to PFF, he had a 63.9 overall grade (84th among 171 graded safeties), a 66.3 run-defense grade (82nd among 171 graded safeties), and a 60.1 coverage grade (94th among 171 graded safeties).
He's expected to have an increased role, but time will tell how much he'll be able to step on the field. This is a storyline worth keeping an eye on going into the season.