Why Talanoa Hufanga is the 49ers’ Most Important Addition of 2024

The San Francisco 49ers' defense suffered a devastating blow in November when safety Talanoa Hufanga went down with a season-ending ACL injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rookie Ji'Ayir Brown filled in for the injured All-Pro, whose absence was felt among his teammates. All signs point toward Hufanga's recovery being on schedule, with the safety even eyeing a potential return some time during training camp. "It's always scary coming back from an ACL, but once you come back, in this day and age, it's usually okay," head coach Kyle Shanahan said in March. "[We] expect to get him some time in training camp, so that should be all right." Last week, Nick

Which 2024 game will be the most difficult for the San Francisco 49ers? There are a few to choose from. The NFL schedule-makers did the 49ers no favors. They will travel more air miles than most teams and have the worst rest disadvantage in the league at -21. That means they have multiple games in which the other team is coming off a bye or a mini-bye. Even when the 49ers seem to have an advantage because they're coming off a mini-bye, their next game is against a team returning from their bye week. The Baltimore Ravens, on the other hand, have the best rest advantage in the league (+16). Last week I highlighted the 49ers' top five non-divisional games. Those are the most important

It's not a shock to anyone who looks back at the past two NFL seasons to contemplate that the San Francisco 49ers' offense has finally stepped out of the shadow cast by the team's ever-imposing defense. Since their 2019 Super Bowl run, players like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, and former 49ers Richard Sherman and Jimmie Ward have garnered most of the attention when talking about the team. That was indeed the case until 2022, when future Hall-of-Fame running back Christian McCaffrey, who came to San Francisco in a mid-season trade with the Carolina Panthers, changed the conversation. The 49ers' offense was suddenly seen not just as a semi-capable complement to a sterling defense, but rather as a unit that could put up some points, and in a dramatic way. With the

The full 2024 NFL schedule is set for release tomorrow night. However, the NFL has given fans a sneak peek by unveiling the opener for the San Francisco 49ers. The Bay Area team will host quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium on Monday, September 9, at 5:20 p.m. PT. The game will air on ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes. Can't. Wait. 🍿🤩 @nyjets-@49ers on Sept. 9 | ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes