The decision to keep Ambry Thomas, who is injured, remains...questionable.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team needed to make a decision about safety Talanoa Hufanga and whether he’d be ready for Week 1. Well, it happened, and the Niners announced that Hufanga was activated from the Active/Physically Unable to Perform List.
A healthy Hufanga gives the 49ers their best secondary under Kyle Shanahan. They’ll need all the turnovers they can get because the defensive line is expected to take a step back this season.
Additionally, defensive tackle Kalia Davis and running back Elijah Mitchell were placed on the Injured Reserve List. However, only Davis was designated for return. You get two designations as a team, and the 49ers did not use one on Mitchell, which ended his season.
Unfortunately, for Mitchell, this has become the norm. Since being drafted in 2021, he has yet to stay healthy all season. He’s a talented runner, but his body simply could not hold up.
That means Jordan Mason is cemented into the RB2 role, with Patrick Taylor Jr. as the potential third-down back if Mason’s pass-protecting skills aren’t up to par.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw was placed on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform List. That’s not surprising. Greenlaw can return as early as four games.
It was a bit of a surprise to see the 49ers keep cornerback Ambry Thomas on the active roster, as he’s expected to miss quite a bit of time with a broken forearm. Thomas could presumably be placed on the IR after more moves are made on Wednesday.
Jon Feliciano, another player who is banged up, should return sooner rather than later, which is why he wasn’t placed on the IR.
