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San Francisco 49ers' Talanoa Hufanga After LA Rams Loss: 'Season Is Not Over'

The San Francisco 49ers dropped a rain-filled Thursday Night Football contest to the LA Rams in a sloppy 12-6 game. Former USC Trojans and All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga returned to game action and made an impact. Despite the loss, Hufunga believes the 49ers are still alive.

Kyron Samuels

Dec 12, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) is congratulated by safety Talanoa Hufanga (29) after making a tackle against the Los Angeles Rams in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Dec 12, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) is congratulated by safety Talanoa Hufanga (29) after making a tackle against the Los Angeles Rams in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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The San Francisco 49ers dropped a rain-filled Thursday Night Football contest to the Los Angeles Rams in a sloppy 12-6 game. The 49ers dropped to 6-8 on the season and are at risk of missing the playoffs just a year after being in overtime of the Super Bowl. Former USC Trojans turned All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga returned to game action for the second straight week after missing most of the season with a hand injury and made an impact on the game despite the close loss suffered to their state rival. 

"The season is not over. We still have games left to play, and if we don't show up, there's no reason to be here if we're not going to do that. So I'm going to show up every day," said 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga.

In a game with inclement weather and as low-scoring as this matchup was, every play counts just a bit more than it normally does. A game-changing play, although a somewhat negative, was a dropped interception from Hufanga. After recently returning from a hand injury, Hufanga’s right hand is heavily wrapped to protect it, and it mimics the shape of a boxing glove. 

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It can be hard to catch without the use of one of your hands, but Hufanga knows it was one of many missed opportunities for the San Francisco defensive unit that could’ve changed the trajectory and outcome of the game and maybe season, as every game counts doubly for the 49ers at this stage of the year. 

“It’s frustrating, but at the end of the day, we had [opportunities]. I had opps. I had no excuse to drop a pick. I have a club on, it don’t matter. Earlier in the week, I said I was gonna use it to my benefit, so I have to make those plays. It could’ve been a game-changing play where we have a touchdown off of it," Hufanga said of a dropped interception that had the potential to be returned for a touchdown.

Hufanga played well overall, especially being some of his first action after returning from injury. The former USC Trojan All-American finished with eight total tackles, six solo tackles, and a tackle for loss. The 24-year-old safety is young but one of the leaders of the team as well. His presence is one that commands respect in the locker room, and after a tough loss, he felt the need to speak up. 

"He broke the team down after the game, and he said that his mindset and his attitude will be 100% effort on every single day, every practice, every single rep, and he will fight until the wheels fall off because he has been fighting his ass off to get back on the football field this year, and he has only gotten so many reps. He's played really, really good football for us," said San Francisco tight end George Kittle of Hufanga’s spirited post-game message. 

The 49ers have nine days off before they play the Miami Dolphins, and they’ll need those rest days to get refocused. With both teams on the bubble, that’s essentially the first playoff game of the season. 

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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

Kyron Samuels is a former college and professional football player now a writer, analyst, & digital host. Kyron is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and contributes to Oregon Ducks on SI. A graduate and letterman at Jacksonville State University, Samuels was a three-year starter, two-time all-conference, and won three consecutive conference titles. After a four-year professional stint between the AFL & XFL, Samuels retired from football. In 2022, Samuels was inducted into the Fairhope Athletic Hall of Fame. Post-playing career, Samuels has become a credentialed sports media member covering the NFL, UFL, USFL, & college football. The NFL Combine, Reese’s Senior Bowl, & East-West Shrine Bowl are amongst the events Kyron has covered. As a guest and host, Samuels has been featured on ESPNRadio, FoxSportsRadio, & IHeartRadio. Outside of sports media, Samuels works as a scouting consultant and has experience coaching at the collegiate level.

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