The San Francisco 49ers‘ injury woes are getting even worse after K Jake Moody had to be carted off the field due to an ankle injury. Moody had already made two field goals before the injury, but the injury and ensuing escort off the field did not look good.
The injury happened due to Moody trying to make a tackle on a kickoff return. His foot got trapped under his body as he attempted to tackle Arizona Cardinals returner DeeJay Dallas.
You can watch a video of the injury here. Certified Orthopedic Specialist Tom Christ provided an analysis of the situation with the clip.
“Right foot gets trapped, high ankle sprain mechanism on his kicking foot. Hope he’s okay,” Christ wrote on X.
If it is a high-ankle sprain, that could mean that the 49ers kicker could be out for a significant amount of time. Those types of injuries typically take several weeks to recover from, which would mean San Francisco would need to find an emergency replacement in the meantime.
Two More 49ers Exit Game with Injury
Besides the injury Moody suffered, the 49ers also had more bad luck with two other players. S Talanoa Hufanga and S Ji’Ayir Brown both exited the game with injuries, with Brown also suffering an ankle issue.
Hufanga came out of the game fairly on, with the 49ers stating that his status was initially questionable due to a wrist injury. He was later ruled out from the contest, which is a bad sign for a player who has already had plenty of injury issues.
Hufanga suffered a torn ACL in Week 11 of the 2023 season, forcing him out for the remainder of the regular season and the 49ers’ ensuing run to the 2024 Super Bowl. He then suffered an ankle injury earlier this season that forced him to miss the Week 4 win over the New England Patriots.
It’s frustrating for the player and the team, because Hufanga has shined brightly in his young career. He was a 2022 All-Pro who brought down four interceptions that year, before nabbing three more INTs in San Francisco’s 2023 season.
San Francisco Scarce on Safeties
Similar to what was happening with the defensive tackle unit over the past few weeks, San Francisco is now low on natural safeties. The team has George Odum and Malik Mustapha, but they’re backups for a reason.
Odum at least boasts a substantial amount of experience. The 31-year-old is in his seventh year in the NFL and his third with the 49ers. However, he has not started a single game for the Niners over two seasons and change.
Mustapha joined the 49ers this past offseason as a fourth-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The 22-year-old defensive back started in place of Hufanga when he missed the game against the Patriots and has made 9 combined tackles this year.
Mustapha was impressive in college, plying his trade at Wake Forest. In his final season with the Demon Deacons, he totaled 80 combined tackles and brought down an interception to boot. He totaled 3 interceptions over three years at Wake.
