ClutchPoints
The San Francisco 49ers had perhaps the best Week 5 imaginable. After stunning the Los Angeles Rams 26-23 in overtime on Thursday, the 49ers watched the division rival Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals suffer game-losing field goals, creating a one-and-a-half game lead atop the NFC West. The Philadelphia Eagles also lost their first game of the season, pushing the 49ers to the number-one seed in the NFC playoff standings.
More good news awaited San Francisco on Monday as safety Malik Mustapha had his practice window opened ahead of Sunday’s Week 6 bout against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For a 49ers team playing without franchise quarterback Brock Purdy, All-Pro tight end George Kittle, and former Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, Mustapha’s return is a welcome sight.
Mustapha has yet to suit up for the 49ers this season after re-injuring his ACL during the 2024 season-finale against the Cardinals. Although the second-year safety did not tear his ACL, the injury still required surgery, forcing him to miss the team’s entire offseason program.
To avoid using a valuable 53-man roster spot on Mustapha, the team placed him on the reserve/physically unable to perform list in August, pausing his sophomore campaign.
Selected with the 124th overall pick in the 2024, Mustapha had a stellar rookie season, recording 72 tackles, five pass deflections, and one interception in 16 games. The Wake Forest product even played well enough to finish 14th for the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award while roaming San Francisco’s secondary.
With Mustapha sidelined, the 49ers have turned to veteran Jason Pinnock and fifth-round rookie Marques Sigle. The results have varied. Pinnock has struggled to stop the run and pass, creating a clear path for Mustapha to reinsert himself in the starting lineup, whereas Sigle is the team’s sixth-highest graded run defender, according to Pro Football Focus.
The 49ers have 21 days to activate Mustapha or risk losing him for the remainder of the season.
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