Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers are facing an unexpected challenge that flew under the radar until recently. According to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, safety Malik Mustapha underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL after the 2024 season. The injury happened in Week 18 during the game against the Arizona Cardinals. The team’s injury concerns deepened with the recent revelation of this setback. This revelation raises questions about how the 49ers will adjust moving forward and what it means for their defensive lineup.

This Sunday, Coach Yac shared an update on their X handle: “Matt Maiocco thinks Malik Mustapha (ACL) will start the season on PUP, and Jason Pinnock will step in as the starting safety.” Back in Week 18, Mustapha took a cleat to the knee during a game. Initially, everyone thought he was fine—but an MRI later that week revealed that the graft from his 2022 ACL repair had torn. Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group confirmed that the 49ers announced Mustapha’s injury and upcoming surgery on Saturday night.

Here’s the deal: Rookie fifth-rounder Marques Sigle might need to step in right away. Mustapha likely won’t return until midseason. He was a 2024 fourth-round pick who played 16 games with 12 starts as a rookie. The 49ers also added safeties Richie Grant and Jason Pinnock in free agency, but lost Talanoa Hufanga to the Broncos after his rookie deal expired.

So, who fills Mustapha’s spot? That’s still uncertain. Just days ago, KP floated three veteran options to hold the position—solid choices. But there’s another name: Chuck Clark. Pro Football Network named him the one free agent the 49ers should sign after the 2025 NFL Draft. If healthy by Week 1, he could be a serviceable plug-and-play fit. PFN describes him as a Robert Saleh disciple who could temporarily slide into the scheme.

But here’s the catch: in 2024, Clark allowed a 118 passer rating when targeted, according to Pro Football Reference. Over 12 games, he committed four penalties, including one pass interference, just two yards, but it raises questions. Was it rare due to infrequent targeting, or did he struggle to keep up? He wouldn’t be a disastrous signing, but the 49ers have prioritized reliability at safety. And Clark doesn’t exactly scream “steady.”

KP may have had better options, but they’ll likely cost more. And with no clear timeline for Mustapha’s return, the decision is trickier than an episode of Succession. San Francisco 49ers fans got hit with some unexpected news about Malik Mustapha’s injury right after the 2025 NFL Draft. Just as Kyle Shanahan is moving forward, he signed a former Jets safety.

Kyle Shanahan’s next move: Signing a safety after Mustapha’s injury

ESPN’s Nick Wagoner reported that Malik Mustapha tore his ACL during the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals on January 5. Hence, casting serious doubt on whether he’ll be ready for the start of next season. General Manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan had already wrapped up their post-draft press conferences. They left the media without a chance to press them on Mustapha’s status. Strangely, the team didn’t disclose the injury earlier, not even during their end-of-season press conference. That raised questions about the delay.

The 49ers did draft a safety in the fifth round—Marques Sigle from Kansas State—but they may now look to sign a veteran, especially since doing so wouldn’t affect their compensatory picks. As mentioned earlier, Pro Football Network analyst Sterling Xie recently identified one post-draft free agent target for every team. For San Francisco, he named safety Chuck ͏C͏lark.

“Shoul͏d Mustapha mis͏s time, th͏e ͏49ers w͏ill need another option͏ ne͏xt to Ji’A͏yi͏r Brown,” Pro Football Network analyst Sterling Xie said. Veterans George Odum and Jason Pinnock are likely better suited for situational roles and special teams, while asking fifth-round rookie Marques Sigle to step in immediately might be a stretch. As such, San Francisco could look to bring in a veteran to help start the season.

Xie explained Clark’s situation as, “Chuck Clark played for the Jets the last two seasons, so he has familiarity with Robert Saleh’s scheme. The medicals would have to check out on Clark, as he missed all of 2023 with a torn ACL and the end of 2024 with a torn pectoral (which could be part of the reason he’s still unsigned). Clark turned 30 in April, so he should still have some gas in the tank and would require less of a transition to Saleh’s defense than other free agent safeties.” Stats definitely support Xie’s argument.

Last season, Clark appeared in 12 games, recording 69 tackles, a sack, and two passes defended. He also earned solid run-defense grades in recent years. However, there are concerns about his coverage skills—quarterbacks posted a 115.2 passer rating against him in 2024, throwing four touchdowns on just 20 targets.

It’s unclear if injuries were still affecting his performance. Still, while Mustapha is sidelined, Clark could serve as a short-term option for the 49ers. And given Robert Saleh’s familiarity with him, Clark might have an edge over other free-agent safeties. But that will happen only if Shanahan and San Francisco decide to act.