Safety Malik Mustapha, activated from the physically unable to perform list, will make his 2025 debut today against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A promising member of the 49ers’ 2024 rookie class, Mustapha (5-foot-10, 205 pounds) brings some depth and an enforcer’s mentality to a position that has relied almost solely on veteran Jason Pinnock and rookie fifth-round pick Marques Sigle as the last line of defense.
Early indications are the 49ers are planning on elevating Ji’Ayir Brown as a starter ahead of Pinnock at one safety spot along with Sigle and using Mustapha on a limited snap count.
“I don’t know how the rotation is going to work out, but I’m very eager to play with him,” Sigle said this week. “We’re kind of the same on run fits. We’re shooting our guns. He brings a different IQ, a different mentality. I can’t wait to be out there with him.”
Listed as inactive for the 49ers are quarterback Brock Purdy, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall Jr., wide receiver Jordan Watkins, defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos, running back Jordan James and linebacker Nick Martin.
Mustapha played in 16 games with 12 starts as a fourth-round draft pick out of Wake Forest, part of an encouraging draft class. He had 72 tackles, 30 unassisted, with an interception and five passes defensed. His offseason surgery for a torn ACL came as a surprise.
Mustapha is happy to get going under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who replaced Nick Sorenson in the offseason.
“It’s super exciting, definitely a different identity,” Mustapha said. “The young guys have stepped in. We kind of stepped in and set a standard last yea with young guys and now we’re seeing this group contributing early with guys like Marquis, Mykel Williams, Upton Stout, the list goes on. Those guys have bought into the standard and now I’m ready to pick up where I left off.”
Saleh’s first impression now that he has seen Mustapha on the field instead of just in the meeting rooms?
“His tape from last year was pretty impressive for a rookie,” Saleh said. “A violent, fast-trigger football player. And you know, we’ve only had a couple days with him now, but he’s made of the right stuff that’s for damn sure.”
Pinnock and Sigle have never been off the field on defense, each playing 325 snaps. Brown, a third-round pick out of Penn State in 2023, has seen his role diminished and has played 50 snaps as a hybrid linebacker/safety in Saleh’s “big nickel” alignment.
Although the safety positions are interchangeable, Sigle and Mustapha qualify more as in-the-box safeties rather than as a last line of defense, with Brown and Pinnock operating more as traditional free safeties.
Mustapha said his identity as a big hitter was developed at an early age.
“I grew up kind of being undersized, so it was just a thing, where can I separate myself?,” Mustapha said. “Having that Mighty Mouse mentality, being a big dog, mentally it’s going to give me the upper hand.”
The 49ers are in the midst of a 12-game streak with no interceptions dating back to last season, a modern NFL record. Tampa Bay will be without explosive wideouts Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula). However, rookie Emeka Egbuka, a first-round pick out of Ohio State. Egbuka has emerged as an early contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year and a go-to target fo quarterback Baker Mayfield with 25 receptions for 445 yards (17.8 yards per reception) and five touchdowns.
Others declared as inactive for the Bucs are running back Bucky Irving, cornerback Zyon McCollum, cornerback Benjamin Morrison and running back Josh Williams.