It’s been a tale of two seasons for Malik Mustapha as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. His rookie year was filled with good tape and highlights, which made the organization hopeful for his future as a starting safety.
Unfortunately, an ACL injury late in the season delayed Mustapha’s ramp-up period for the 2025 season. The 49ers’ defense overall in 2025 was decimated by injuries to key defensive linemen and Fred Warner, but the secondary as a whole struggled. Mustapha had a down season in 2025,
as did just about everyone who played significant snaps in the secondary.
Year three is a chance for a fresh start for Mustapha; three years and three different coordinators. Nick Sorenson, Robert Saleh, and now Raheem Morris have been the defensive playcallers for Mustapha, and funny enough, his best season came with Sorenson calling the plays. The scheme is strikingly similar among the three defensive coordinators, but this season is Mustapha’s chance to put all questions to bed.
Basic Info
Age: 24
Experience: 2 accrued seasons
Height: 5’10
Weight: 207 pounds
Cap Status
Mustapha’s contract ranks 122nd out of 235 for all safeties in the NFL; the base salary in 2026 eclipses a million dollars for the first time in his career. The contract for the safety costs the 49ers nothing, as his cap number counts as 0.4% against the salary cap. Mustapha has a chance to play his way into big money with a solid season since the team has one more year of team control after this season.
How does Mustapha fit with Raheem Morris?
Last season in Atlanta, Morris and Jeff Ulbrich’s defense generated eight interceptions combined from their safeties. Jessie Bates III and Xavier Watts played over 1,200 coverage snaps, with Watts finishing with a 73.1 coverage grade. The concern is the seven touchdowns allowed by the duo, according to PFF.
As far as Mustapha goes, coverage is the biggest concern, and Morris will take more chances blitzing. The safety duo, whoever it will be next to Mustapha, will have to stop allowing big plays. Could Morris push Mustapha closer to the line of scrimmage, or does he feel Mustapha can play the deep portion of the field? The 49ers didn’t address the safety position until signing Ashtyn Davis, so the team is confident in what they have in-house.
What are realistic expectations for Mustapha in 2026?
The 49ers’ defense will be much improved in 2026 with less pressure to push safeties up to defend the run. Communication on the back end broke down much more once Fred Warner’s season was lost in Tampa Bay. His presence alone will improve the coverage breakdowns on the back end. Still, Mustapha has to get back to playing fast and downhill.
A jump in coverage will push Mustapha into a different conversation for safeties in the NFL. The talent is there. Can Morris maximize that talent in 2026?
