The San Francisco 49ers’ injury troubles worsened as kicker Jake Moody was carted off the field after suffering an ankle injury. Moody had already made two field goals before the incident, but the severity of the injury and his exit were concerning.
The injury occurred when Moody attempted to tackle Arizona Cardinals returner DeeJay Dallas on a kickoff return. His foot became trapped under his body during the tackle attempt.
A video of the injury is available, and Certified Orthopedic Specialist Tom Christ analyzed the situation, stating:
“Right foot gets trapped, high ankle sprain mechanism on his kicking foot. Hope he’s okay,” Christ wrote on X.
If it is indeed a high-ankle sprain, Moody could be sidelined for an extended period. These injuries often require several weeks of recovery, which would leave the 49ers searching for an emergency replacement.
Two More 49ers Leave with Injuries
In addition to Moody’s injury, two more 49ers players left the game. Safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Ji’Ayir Brown both exited due to injuries, with Brown also suffering an ankle problem.
Hufanga was removed earlier in the game, initially labeled as questionable with a wrist injury before being ruled out—a troubling sign for a player already dealing with injury setbacks.
Hufanga tore his ACL in Week 11 of the 2023 season, sidelining him for the rest of the year and the 49ers’ 2024 Super Bowl run. He also sustained an ankle injury earlier this season, causing him to miss the Week 4 win over the New England Patriots.
Despite his injury history, Hufanga has had an impressive start to his career, earning All-Pro honors in 2022 and recording four interceptions. He followed up with three interceptions in the 2023 season.
Safety Depth Running Thin
Similar to the recent issues with the defensive tackle position, the 49ers are now thin at safety. They have George Odum and Malik Mustapha, though both are backup players.
Odum, a 31-year-old veteran in his third season with the 49ers, has yet to start a game for the team.
Mustapha, a 2024 fourth-round draft pick, stepped in for Hufanga when he missed the Patriots game and has made nine combined tackles this season. The young defensive back impressed during his time at Wake Forest, where he accumulated 80 combined tackles and one interception in his final season. Over his three-year college career, he totaled three interceptions.
