The San Francisco 49ers have announced their moves to reach the initial 53-man roster. Among the key decisions was activating All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga from the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list, making him eligible for Week 1. However, this doesn't necessarily guarantee Hufanga will play in the season opener, as the team might make him inactive to allow for additional recovery time.
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Hufanga is recovering from an ACL injury that cut short his 2023 season. He has yet to practice with the team this offseason.
"The goal is to be ready by Week 1," Hufanga said in June. "The goal is to be in training camp, not at the very beginning, but to ramp me up correctly, just so it's not throw you out there to the wolves and good luck. But trying to be smart with it."
In his last full season in 2022, Hufanga recorded 97 tackles, five tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits, four interceptions, a touchdown, nine passes defensed, and two forced fumbles. His standout performance earned him first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
The 49ers also made several other roster moves involving recovering players. Running back Elijah Mitchell has been placed on the injured reserve list, ending his season. As expected, defensive tackle Kalia Davis was placed on injured reserve with a return designation. He is expected to miss about half the season.
Surprisingly, offensive lineman Jon Feliciano made the 53-man roster despite expectations that he would land on injured reserve with a return designation. His inclusion suggests that his return might be sooner than initially anticipated. Interestingly, cornerback Ambry Thomas also made the 53-man roster, even though he is expected to miss significant time due to a fractured forearm. Both could still land on injured reserve.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw has been placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list to start the season. As a result, he will miss at least the first four games, with his earliest possible return being Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium.