With safety Talanoa Hufanga nearing his return to the field, the 49ers plan to ease him back into action.
Speaking to the media after training camp practice on Wednesday, San Francisco defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen was asked about the kind of ramp-up Hufanga would need as he works his way back from a torn ACL.
“We've got guys [training staff] that have been doing this for a long time and they're really good at it,” Sorensen told reporters. “So, they have all the metrics and the measurements and all the checkpoints, which he's been going through that process. There's so many years and years of data and they've been with him. They'll let us know.”
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Nick Sorensen on Talanoa Hufanga's ramp-up period once he returns to the field pic.twitter.com/iy8PtETXQv
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Hufanga sustained the torn ligament in San Francisco's Week 11 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season. It can take a while for a player to recover from the ligament reconstruction surgery fully, but Sorensen is fine with Hufanga taking his time to ease back into things
“I think it just depends on the player,” Sorensen said. “He's got a lot of experience. So with someone like Huf, you would trust him. As long as once he comes back and he's communicating like he did, he's moving like he did.
“You can trust what you're seeing, but also what they're telling you in their comfort level. It would be different than someone who's new or someone who's played eight years. So I think with him, it's once he feels good and ready to go, we'll go with that.”
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Before the All-Pro went down last season, San Francisco’s defense gave up 15.7 points per game, and without him, the 49ers gave up 21.8 points per game (including the playoffs). So, getting him fully healthy and back on the field will be a significant boost.
While younger players have stepped up so far in training camp, Hufanga is a known commodity in the 49ers' secondary. San Francisco will need its defense to continue to play at a high level to make a Super Bowl return a possibility.
Now, Hufanga and the 49ers will continue preparing for a Week 1 game against quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets at Levi’s Stadium.