The San Francisco 49ers have already dealt with injury issues throughout 2024, but it’s not getting any easier with their latest roster move.
After suffering a wrist injury in the 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga is heading to the injured reserve. The team announced the roster move on October 9.
“The San Francisco 49ers today announced they have promoted TE Brayden Willis to the active roster from the team’s practice squad,” the site states. “In order to make room on the roster, the team placed S Talanoa Hufanga on the Injured Reserve list.”
Anyone who has followed the 49ers this year knows how unlucky they’ve been when it comes to injuries. Losing Hufanga for at least four weeks only piles on the misery for a team that is now facing a lot more pressure to win.
Had the 49ers held onto victory against the Cardinals, they may have had some leeway going into the Thursday night clash with the Seattle Seahawks. Instead, the quick turnaround is for a game that almost feels like a must-win just 6 weeks into the season.
49ers Missing Several Players for TNF
Besides Hufanga going to the IR, San Francisco will also be without kicker Jake Moody and a couple others. The team’s latest injury report also ruled out LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf) and DT Jordan Elliott (knee).
The 49ers will also be monitoring the status of their two players with questionable designations. WR Chris Conley has an oblique injury, while corner Charvarius Ward is dealing with a knee issue.
No disrespect to Conley, but Ward is definitely a name the 49ers will hope can play. The defense is already thin due to the lack of healthy DTs, and losing their No. 1 corner alongside Hufanga could spell disaster.
These recent losses for Thursday come alongside many players being listed on the injured reserve or being ruled out ahead of time.
- DE Yetur Gross-Matos
- DT Javon Hargrave
- DE Drake Jackson
- LB Dre Greenlaw
- LB Curtis Robinson
- CB Ambry Thomas
- WR Ricky Pearsall
- C/G Jon Feliciano
- RB Christian McCaffrey
49ers Star Calls Out Team’s ‘Adjustments’
San Francisco gave up a two-score lead against the Cardinals, albeit the offense turned the ball over three times in the second half. Despite the offensive miscues, DE Nick Bosa thinks the defense simply didn’t make the right adjustments to win the game.
“They were giving us a different look on the zone read,” Bosa said to NBC Sports on October 6. “I think in all our losses, the preparation we’ve had has been great. But teams are playing us different and doing things differently, and we need to adjust a little better.”
That being said, the team’s defensive coordinator, Nick Sorensen disputed that idea in his follow-up press conference a couple of days later.
“I don’t think it was something we didn’t adjust. We started changing some of the calls, and we did mix up, whether it was two-high or brought pressure,” Sorensen said.
San Francisco now has to make a quick turnaround without key players, and some clear differences amongst the defensive members of the team.
