San Francisco 49ers S Talanoa Hufanga Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

49ers All-Pro defender believed to have torn ACL

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated 11/19/23

The San Francisco 49ers just welcomed Chase Young into the mix, but now they are losing another integral part of their defense.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that safety Talanoa Hufanga “most likely” suffered a torn ACL in his knee during the game, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Shanahan added that there will be further testing on Hufanga to confirm the belief.

The 23-year-old Hufanga, who was a Pro Bowler and a First Team All-Pro in 2022, had to exit Sunday’s game after suffering a non-contact injury. He was attempting to tackle Bucs running back Rachaad White in the open field but got juked out, causing his right leg to buckle awkwardly.

You can see the video of the play below.

#49ers say All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga suffered a knee injury and is done for the day. He was carted off.

Appears like this was the play. pic.twitter.com/e6gllDYUKQ
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 19, 2023

Hufanga has emerged as an emotional leader of the San Francisco defense, one who sets the tone with his hard hits and ability to get under the skin of his opponents. While the now-7-3 Niners have enough defensive talent to overcome Hufanga’s injury, losing his ability in coverage and as a tackler certainly hurts.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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