The Most Important 49ers Extension Candidate Entering Training Camp

This will be one of the most vital summers in the career of San Francisco 49ers safety Ji’Ayir Brown. Brown is a free agent after this year. The range of outcomes for his career after this season varies from being benched to being let go after the season, all the way to being given a long-term extension before the season even starts. This is what makes him the player to watch during training camp.

Ji’Ayir Brown is the San Francisco 49ers' most important extension candidate to watch

Brown was drafted to be depth in the 2023 NFL draft. However, an injury to Talanoa Hufanga pushed him into the lineup earlier than expected. He started from 12 through the end of his rookie season.

Browns started the majority of the 2024 season, mainly because Gipson and Hufanga were injured. When Hufanga returned from injury, the team benched Brown late in the year. Then, in 2025, they tried to start Jason Pinnock over Brown.

Every year they have an attempt to push Brown from the lineup, but every year it does not work. This year, the 49ers are showing him the same treatment. They added Ashtyn Davis into the mix. Beyond that, Marques Sigle is entering year two, and he has starting experience.

It is clear through four seasons that the 49ers do not trust Brown enough to name him a starter without bringing in competition. New defensive coordinator Raheem Morris also has no ties to Brown, so he could feel more comfortable moving him to the bench or a dime role if he does not like what he is seeing.

So, the odds of Brown playing out this last year in whatever role he has and then the team moving on are starting to look likely.

At the same time, Brown has shown that for as much as you can throw at him, he will still find a way to outproduce expectations. The team could try to move on from Brown, but realize he is their best option.

Beyond that, he could come in at a price that is low-end starter or quality depth money. If that is the case, the 49ers would have no issues locking him beyond this year.

There is a lot that can happen with Brown, and it all could happen within the next month. He is not discussed often, but is a key name to follow this summer.

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