Kyle Shanahan shouts out 2 SF rookies for stepping up in 2024

While the San Francisco 49ers’ 2024 NFL season hasn’t gone as planned, one of the minor bright spots has been the emergence of rookies Dominick Puni and Malik Mustapha, who have become forces for the team at right guard and safety, respectively.The third and fourth selections by the 49ers back in April, San Francisco finally loaded up on quality young players after spending years working at a loss due to trades for players like Christian McCaffrey – worth it – and Trey Lance – not so much. But did even Kyle Shanahan expect the duo of Puni and Mustapha, mid-round picks from unconventional schools, to catch on this quickly? It’s hard to say, but the veteran head coach did not say that he knew they would be players early on, as they both came into camp ready to go.

“I think they’ve helped us out all year. They came out real strong and showed right away in camp. Puni earning that starting position with two injuries, I think, in the first three days at camp. So he’s basically been the starter since day three. And he acted like the starter right away, and he’s continued that throughout the year,” Shanahan told reporters. “Malik getting his opportunity with some injuries also. But both of them have been playing at a high level. It is tough this time of year for all these rookies. They’re usually done around this time. So I know it’s a challenge for them, just with their bodies and everything and keeping up with the wear and tear and having to play through some of the soreness and the injuries and things like that. But I’ve been real impressed with them. They helped us a ton and they’re going to be good Niners here going forward.”

Whether due to luck, injury, or good old-fashioned hard work, Punk and Mustapha have become players for the 49ers and look like they could hold ont0 important spots on the team long-term. But will they be able to maintain their play down the stretch? Or will they hit the proverbial “rookie wall?” Well, Shanahan commented on that, too, and his answer may surprise you.

San Francisco 49ers guard Dominick Puni (77) blocks New York Jets defensive end Solomon Thomas (left) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. — Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Kyle Shanahan tries to prepare new 49ers for the “rookie wall”

Discussing the challenges of rookies going from college to the pros and the much longer season that accompanies it, Shanahan admitted that he does believe in the “rookie wall” but tries to prepare them for it so things don’t fall too far off the tracks.

“You can tell, you can try to tell everybody everything, but usually people don’t believe you until it happens. So you just try to tell people how it’s coming, that it usually happens, just with experience of being around it. You try to tell them that throughout the year, so they don’t really, they kind of set up their routine at the beginning of Week 1 a little bit in training camp. And you try to never differentiate from that routine,” Shanahan noted.

“Sometimes rookies, they get to Week 4 and it’s not that big of a deal, they don’t have to go through their routine. But once they get to around now they’re, now they’re like, ‘Oh, now I get what you’re talking about. I should have kept with that routine.’ So we pick up on that stuff or talk about it all year to prepare them for this moment. But it still does hit them. And you just talk about the reality of it. It is going to hit you, you do feel that way, but that’s why you’ve got to make conscious decisions and understand it is normal. But it’s stuff you’ve got to fight through because too many people are depending on you.”

Sitting in last place in the NFC West but with a legitimate chance to make it to the postseason if they do well down the stretch one way or another, the 49ers really can’t afford to be at anything but their best in December, which is tricky, considering they have over a half-dozen players on IR. If their rookies can play through the proverbial wall, it can only lead to good results.