It’s been a long time since Malik Mustapha played at full strength on a football field.
The 49ers safety had ACL surgery in January, and he was a full participant in practice on Wednesday after San Francisco opened his 21-day practice window on Monday. He was asked afterwards by reporters how it feels to join a defense that’s firing on all cylinders.
“Oh, it’s super exciting, you know, it’s definitely a different identity,” Mustapha said Wednesday. “I feel like this year, Salah’s been great with the defense.”
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has returned for his second stint with the 49ers, and his impact has been noticed on the field. San Francisco is tied for second in the NFL with seven forced fumbles so far this season.
“The young guys have stepped in,” Mustapha continued. “Setting that standard last year with the young guys and now just seeing this group of young guys, you know, contributing early as they have … those guys are just bought into our standard.”
Mustapha was drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he played in every game, recording 32 tackles along with an interception. Mustapha injured the same knee at Wake Forest in 2022, which also required ACL surgery. The second-year safety discussed how his recovery process is different this time around.
“Maybe like having to go to class after rehab and everything, and now it’s just more so just kind of focusing on different types of movements,” Mustapha explained. “Not just focusing on my knee but just focusing on other areas of my body and totality, so I think it just taught me a lot about taking care of myself and different parts of my body to kind of help me build that longevity going forward.”
The Wake Forest alum will have the chance to prove how he can help this talented 49ers defense very soon.
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