Former All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga is set to make his 2024 debut when the 49ers play the Rams on Sunday.

It’s the first time Hufanga will be playing in a game since he tore his ACL last year on Nov. 19 against the Buccaneers. He makes his return 10 months later, which is an impressive feat. Hufanga has worked tirelessly to get back into form to rejoin the 49ers.

However, the 49ers needed to be careful with him. The last thing they wanted was for Hufanga to rush back and suffer a setback or worse. They needed to ease him back into practice. Hufanga was limited in every practice session until this week when he tallied three full participations.

For the portion of practice that he wasn’t participating in physically, he substituted it mentally. That helped him evolve from limited to full in practice, and it’s why he’s ready to go after missing the first two games.

“As he started to ramp up and get into practice, I think he’s just been more connected,” said defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen. “He makes sure that he’s right there. In walk-through, he’ll shadow whoever’s in, so he is getting himself those actual reps and making sure that you hear him on the side, making all the calls that he’d be making as if he was actually in the game. That’s really what you want everyone to do. If you’re not getting the rep, you should get a mental rep.

“He was fully in it. If you can do that, you basically steal reps when you’re not actually out there,” continued Sorensen. “Obviously, you need the physical reps, but when you can mentally make those calls, put yourself in the play at that time, you are getting better and you are putting yourself into those plays and you’re reacting as it’s happening rather than just maybe seeing it on tape. It’s just different when you’re out there and it’s not expected. And he did a good job of that. So he was totally preparing himself to be ready.”

Hufanga was essentially running simulations. That way once he was allowed to be fully unleashed in practice, he could tie the two together between his mental and physical. It’s pivotal for him to get that down as he recovers from a torn ACL. He’s been using one leg at full strength for the last 10 months while having to relearn how to use his surgically repaired one.

The key for Hufanga is confidence. If he can feel comfortable, then he will have unlocked himself. It’s unlikely that he looks amazing in his first game back, but it wouldn’t be surprising either. The 49ers will be mindful of his snaps so they don’t overwork him.

All that matters is how Hufanga feels during the game and after regardless of his performance against the Rams. If he can show some flashes while coming out unscathed, it’ll be a tremendous first step for him to return to full form.