The 49ers will be forced to make a change to their starting secondary for their huge Week 5 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
After Marques Sigle suffered a high-ankle sprain in Sunday’s 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos, the 49ers will have a different starting safety duo in Seattle, though thankfully the replacement is a player in whom they have great faith.
Malik Mustapha is set to come into the lineup and fill in for Sigle, the 2024 fourth-round pick having lost his place in the starting lineup due
to injuries during training camp.
But, even as Sigle and Ji’Ayir Brown have held on to their starting spots through the first four weeks of the season, Mustapha has continued to play defensive snaps, featuring on 49 so far this campaign.
Mustapha played 21 defensive snaps against Denver owing to the injury to Sigle and, as head coach Kyle Shanahan articulated in his Monday conference call, made a significant contribution to an impressive defensive showing from San Francisco.
The game saw Mustapha register his first pass breakup of the season, and it was a huge one as it got Denver off the field after the Broncos reached San Francisco territory on their penultimate drive of the second quarter.
Mustapha read the eyes of quarterback Bo Nix perfectly, got a great drive on the ball and arrived at the catch point at the perfect angle to get in front of intended target Evan Engram and make a diving deflection that prevented the Broncos from adding to a 3-0 lead.
That play served as a reminder of the coverage instincts and athleticism that — along with his physicality — are key components of Mustapha’s skill set.
And, after helping hold the Denver offense largely in check, Shanahan praised Mustapha’s efforts in limited playing time as he prepares for his first start of the year.
Asked if Mustapha had made improvements since Week 1, Shanahan said:
“Yeah, definitely. Malik just had some unfortunate injuries during training camp, so he got a late start, but got his first practice out there in Australia and I think he’s been awesome this whole month. That’s why we’ve been mixing him in there more regardless, even with all those guys healthy. We started mixing him in last week trying to get him some series and stuff. Every time he’s come in, I think he’s played at a high level. I thought he did that yesterday and made one of the biggest plays in the game yesterday on that third-and-five when he broke that pass up. I’m real excited with Malik and how he’s looked.”
Shanahan also had kind words for Sigle, a fifth-round pick last year, and how he has played to start his second year.
He added of Sigle:
“I think he’s been playing his ass off in the run and pass game. The way he’s filled on some of these tackles, just how solid he’s hit people and how quickly he’s done it getting up in there. I thought he’s done it good in the pass game too. He did a lot of good stuff last year, but I think he has taken it to another level, just playing a little bit faster, hesitating less, knowing what he’s doing and really playing well before that injury.”
It will be several weeks before Sigle is able to return, giving Mustapha an opportunity to establish himself in the lineup.
Mustapha has some fond memories of playing in Seattle, with his first career interception as a pro coming in the Niners’ 2024 win over the Seahawks. As the 49ers seek a fifth consecutive regular-season road victory over the Seahawks, his ability to build on the flashes he has shown this season will be crucial to their hopes of improving to 5-0 and taking a stranglehold on the NFC West with the third division triumph of the campaign.
