An All Pro strong safety could be on the trade block.
Talanoa Hufanga might not start for the 49ers next season, according to Mike Silver. Hufanga is only 24, but he's coming off a torn ACL and he's eligible for an extension this offseason. Theoretically, he can ask for a big-time pay day, because he was an All Pro in 2022, meaning one of the top safeties in the NFL. But he can't ask for a big pay day if he isn't a starter.
Last year, the 49ers drafted strong safety Ji'Ayir Brown in Round 3, and when Hufanga tore his ACL, Brown replaced him in the starting lineup and played quite well -- he even intercepted Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. It seems the 49ers think Brown is better than Hufanga.
It also seems the 49ers view them both as strong safeties, which is why they're in the market for free safeties and why Hufanga might not start next season. But if he becomes a bench player, wouldn't he have more value to the 49ers in a trade?
Wouldn't another team want a 24-year-old safety who had four interceptions in 2022 and three interceptions in 10 games in 2023? Sure, Hufanga gives up some big plays, but he also creates them consistently -- he's a play maker. And he should be relatively affordable considering he's coming off a torn ACL.
Perhaps the Texans would like to trade for Hufanga, considering their head coach, DeMeco Ryans, was the 49ers defensive coordinator when Hufanga was an All Pro.
Just a thought.
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