The San Francisco 49ers are relying on a lot of younger players on defense this season. At safety, rookie Marques Sigle has looked good, which means the writing is on the wall for third-year safety Ji'Ayir Brown.
Sigle got the start over Brown in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, and he played well as he had a key fumble recovery in the fourth quarter that may have ended up being the difference in a tight 17-13 contest.
Coming into 2025, it seemed like Brown was going to have to prove that he belonged as a starter at safety after he had a rough go of it in 2024. After it became public the Niners would be without standout rookie safety Malik Mustapha for the first part of 2025, although the most recent news on his injury has been positive, it seemed even more important for Brown to bounce back.
It seems the 49ers may no longer be counting on a bounce-back season from Brown since Sigle has seemingly supplanted him in the starting rotation alongside veteran Jason Pinnock. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has said he is still confident in Brown despite the up-and-down nature of his career thus far, but words count far less than who makes the starting lineup.
If the writing is truly on the wall for Brown and he has essentially lost his chance to be part of the team's plans at safety, it is rough because he showed a lot of promise in his rookie season. He filled in nicely for the injured Talanoa Hufanga at safety in 2023 and even picked off Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl to cap off that season.
However, the departure of Steve Wilks as defensive coordinator may have negatively impacted Brown more than most. Wilks brought with him a background as a secondary coach, so he was able to guide and assist a young player like Brown. Losing Wilks may have been a tough transition for the young Penn State product.
There is always time for him to turn things around. If there is an injury, or if Sigle ends up having some rookie growing pains, then the Niners could rely on Brown more going forward. He is going to have to take advantage of every opportunity he gets going forward, though, otherwise the writing may already be on the wall for his 49ers career.