The 49ers lost a key member of their defense, with All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga officially ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Levi's Stadium after suffering a knee injury.
Hufanga appeared to injure his knee while attempting to tackle Buccaneers running back Rachaad White in the open field before buckling to the ground. The 49ers safety then exited the game to be evaluated in the medical tent.
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After a brief stint in the medical tent, Hufanga got carted off to the 49ers' locker room before officially being ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's contest against Tampa Bay.
Following the game, coach Kyle Shanahan shared that the outlook on Hufanga's injury is bleak, citing concerns around the All-Pro safety's ACL.
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"I'm real concerned," Shanahan told reporters in regards to Hufanga's injury. "We don't know for sure. It's most likely ACL, but can't confirm it, so we'll find out later."
It's a devastating blow to a 49ers defense that has been one of the most feared units in the league since Hufanga stepped into a starting role during the 2022 NFL season.
Rookie safety Ji'Ayir Brown figures to fill a prominent role in Hufanga's absence, getting his first significant workload since being selected by the 49ers in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.