While the bulk of news surrounding the San Francisco 49ers during the 2025 NFL Draft was exciting and filled with promise, as is almost always the case with any draft period, a bombshell dropped in the middle of the three-day event that shook Niners fans to the core.
They learned starting safety Malik Mustapha suffered a torn ACL in San Francisco's regular-season finale the previous January, news of which didn't break until the following April, given the 49ers had been eliminated from the playoffs and no longer needed to report injuries.
The news was a tough blow, as the hard-hitting defensive back made plenty of waves his rookie campaign, and the initial worry was he'd miss a hefty portion of his sophomore season as a result. And it also probably explained why the Niners used a day-three pick on safety Marques Sigle, too, who figured to be an interim fill-in and eventual starter down the road, too.
Sigle may still very well play a pivotal role. But San Francisco might be receiving welcomed news about Mustapha's own road back to the field.
Hints continue to drop about Malik Mustapha's return from injury
With the 49ers commencing training camp this week, a uniformed Mustapha shared a post on Instagram (h/t @CoachYac on Twitter/X) of him walking onto the field carrying his pads and equipment.
The post was then quote-tweeted by doctor Jeff Mueller of Thrive Physical Therapy, who frequently delves into NFL players' injuries with an attention to recovery and timelines.
Mueller's take on Mustapha's own recovery and return to the field is encouraging:
Malik Mustapha’s right quad is looking beefy. Some reports (including his own comments) seemed to indicate it was a repair versus reconstruction too.
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) July 22, 2025
I think we do see Mustapha return sooner than later. https://t.co/bbR6riVYd5
"Malik Mustapha’s right quad is looking beefy," Mueller wrote in the post. "Some reports (including his own comments) seemed to indicate it was a repair versus reconstruction, too. I think we do see Mustapha return sooner than later."
While the second-year pro's recovery and return timeline haven't been shared by any other notable insider or team reporter, there's a decent enough indication he won't be missing the bulk of 2025.
Plus, in light of veteran safety George Odum's release -- a spot starter who likely would have been in line to take first-team reps during camp with Mustapha out -- one might conclude the 49ers are comfortable with their safety depth chart.
And that would include Mustapha returning at 100 percent sooner than later.