Two of the injuries the 49ers battled late last season are expected to linger into the upcoming campaign. The 49ers are prepared to stash Dre Greenlaw on their reserve/PUP list; that may be where Talanoa Hufanga starts his season.
Previously mentioned as in play to miss Week 1, Hufanga is now being connected to being kept on the PUP list to start the season. He went down with an ACL tear during the 49ers’ Thanksgiving matchup against the Seahawks. Kyle Shanahan confirmed (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch) that discussions have taken place regarding whether the All-Pro safety will need the four-game hiatus before returning.
Greenlaw and Hufanga are on the 49ers’ active/PUP list presently. If moved to the reserve/PUP list once San Francisco sets its 53-man roster next week, both are out at least four games. Greenlaw, who sustained an Achilles tear while jogging onto the field during Super Bowl LVIII, has long been expected to start the season on the PUP list. The 49ers added De’Vondre Campbell as immediate insurance; they were not as active at safety. At least, not immediately.
The 49ers can also go week-to-week with Hufanga, should they view him as likely to be ready at some point in the first four games. Hufanga said earlier this summer he was targeting Week 1 and even a return during training camp; the former fifth-round pick looks likely to need more time. That said, Branch adds the fourth-year defender did recently receive clearance to participate in drills. He remains on a ramp-up schedule, though Shanahan hopes a return next week is in the cards. Hufanga returning next week would be a good sign for the 49ers, as he would no longer be eligible for an in-season PUP stint.
While another Tashaun Gipson pact surfaced as an option, the multiyear 49ers starter was hit with a six-game suspension recently. (Gipson has since joined the Jaguars.) That took him out of the picture for a 49ers squad expected to use Ji’Ayir Brown as a full-time player this season. San Francisco eventually signed former Detroit starter Tracy Walker, adding the offseason cap casualty midway through training camp. The 49ers also roster special-teamer George Odum and used a fourth-round pick on safety Malik Mustapha. Odum has made 10 career starts; none have come during his 49ers stay.
Walker would be likelier to make San Francisco’s 53-man roster if Hufanga started the season on the PUP list. The Lions released the 43-game starter after six seasons in February. Hufanga represents an important part of San Francisco’s defense, having risen from part-timer as a rookie to first-team All-Pro in his second season. This will be a pivotal year for both he and Greenlaw, with each player on an expiring contract.