What the 49ers Gain With Talanoa Hufanga Returning

49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen spoke for the first time in his new position where he spoke at lengths about what the defense gains with Talanoa Hufanga coming back.

September 21, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga (29) / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

One weakness on the San Francisco 49ers defense last season was against the run.

They couldn't find the stability there to be a consistent force to defend the run. It was where an offense could find efficiency against them to take advantage of and help their pass game.

There are multiple reasons for why the run defense wasn't strong enough, but one of them for sure had to do with the absence of Talanoa Hufanga. The run defense really slid when Hufanga tore his ACL against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He was an amazing eraser and essentially an extra linebacker for the 49ers. Luckily for the defense, Hufanga should be back in 2024 as he closes in on full recovery. On Friday, defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen explained what the defense is gaining with Hufanga returning.

“Main thing with him is he's got experience and he is a heck of a player," said Sorensen. "I mean, he's really, really good at communicating, he's smart, he sees things, has a full understanding of our system, and when he gets back we're going to be excited. I know he is excited.

"He was out there on the field the other day at our, we're in phase two right now so we're on the field doing a little bit of work with our players and just talking to him he's excited. So when he's ready, he'll be ready and we'll be excited to have him back.”

It'll be sweet for the 49ers to get Hufanga back. However, the key phrase here from Sorensen is "when he's ready" and that isn't fully clear yet. And whenever Hufanga does get back, who is to say what kind of player he will look like. It is not far fetched for Hufanga to be a shell of himself.

It happens from time to time with players who are returning from a serious injury like a torn ACL. Considering the position Hufanga plays, it can have immediate repercussions. The only way the 49ers will find out is when he hits the field, but I believe the 49ers have already been planning for his replacement.

That is why they were fielding interests from safeties in free agency. It is also probably why the 49ers drafted Malik Mustapha. The contingency plans are already in place if Hufanga doesn't get back to his All-Pro caliber form, so it is all a "wait and see" with him in 2024.