49ers' Malik Mustapha to miss start of season with knee injury: Source
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers fifth-round draft pick Marques Sigle might have a better-than-expected shot at a prominent role this season after it was revealed that one of last year's top safeties is recovering from a serious knee injury.
ESPN reported Saturday that Malik Mustapha, who started 12 games as a rookie in 2024, damaged the graft that was used to repair an ACL tear he sustained while at Wake Forest in 2022. Mustapha is believed to have suffered the injury in the 49ers' season finale against the Arizona Cardinals on Jan. 5. He left that contest in the second quarter and didn't return.
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While the injury isn't considered as severe as a complete rupture, which can affect the meniscus in the knee, he's still expected to be out until roughly the midpoint of the season, a league source confirmed. Meanwhile, another 2024 starter at safety, Talanoa Hufanga, signed a three-year deal with the Denver Broncos last month.
That likely leaves the 49ers with Ji'Ayir Brown as the front-runner for one of the safety spots with an offseason competition for the other. Among the contenders are George Odum, who started two games for the 49ers last year, and free-agent additions Jason Pinnock and Richie Grant, who have 39 and 33 career starts, respectively.
Sigle is another option. He was one of the fastest defensive backs at the combine, running his 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds. He played cornerback at North Dakota State before transferring to Kansas State, where he was used as a hybrid safety/nickel cornerback.
Sigle said his versatility was one of his best attributes.
'I can play multiple positions,' he said Saturday. 'I can play free safety, strong safety, nickel and dime.'
General manager John Lynch agreed.
'First of all, he's a bow-legged safety and like I told him, you can't go wrong with the bow-legged safety,' Lynch said. 'He's a good tackler. A term we use is 'taking the grass' and this is a guy who takes the grass. He takes the fight to the ball carrier to the receiver. I think he's going to be a really good fit for us.'
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