The 49ers could place Talanoa Hufanga on the PUP list this Wednesday

Talanoa Hufanga has not trained since tearing his cruciate ligament on November 19 last year.

On Tuesday, the 49ers must trim their roster to 53 players. And if Hufanga is still not ready to practice by then, the 49ers will have to place him on the PUP list on Wednesday, meaning he would miss at least the first four games of the regular season.

Considering how patient the 49ers have been with Hufanga during his rehab process, it’s unlikely they would put him on the field in Week 1 without offseason workouts to get him in shape. The season opener is in two weeks. That doesn’t seem like enough time to get him ready. And it hasn’t even been a full year since he tore his ACL, so don’t be surprised if the 49ers continue to delay Hufanga’s return.

Hufanga isn’t the only 49ers starter who could miss Week 1. Dre Greenlaw definitely won’t play as he’s undergoing an Achilles injury. Trent Williams might not play as he’s hoping for more money. And Brandon Aiyuk might not play as he’s hoping for more money. So the 49ers could have a slow start to the season whether they bring Hufanga back or not. That’s another reason not to bring him back.

If the 49ers place Hufanga on the PUP list, the starting safeties in Week 1 will most likely be Ji’Ayir Brown and George Odum and the primary backup will be rookie Malik Mustapha.