Projecting a Contract Extension for Ji'Ayir Brown This Offseason

He shouldn't be too expensive.

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers will have a key decision to make regarding safety Ji’Ayir Brown this offseason. Brown is extension eligible, giving the team an opportunity to lock him in on a team-friendly deal before he hits free agency. If the 49ers wait and Brown puts together a strong season, the price could rise significantly, or they could risk losing him altogether.

What should the 49ers offer Ji’Ayir Brown this offseason?

Brown finds himself in an awkward middle ground. The 49ers have actively tried to replace him, yet they haven’t been able to. Despite competition and experimentation in the secondary, Brown has worked his way back into the starting lineup and remains the team’s most reliable option at safety.

Recent contracts signed by safeties with similar roles and résumés help frame Brown’s value. Players such as Kamren Curl, Alohi Gilman, Will Harris, Isaiah Pola-Mao, and Xavier Woods provide useful benchmarks. 

Name	Average Annual Salary	Tackles	Turnovers (INT + FF)	Snaps	Approximate Value
Ji'Ayir Brown		188	6	2082	11
Kamren Curl	$4.5M	316	6	3182	17
Alohi Gillman	$5.07M	213	7	2609	15
Will Harris	$4	130	3	1613	9
Xavier Woods	$4M	219	7	2540	14
Isaiah Pola-Moa	$3.7	201	5	2165	12

When comparing production and usage over the past three seasons, Brown clearly falls short of Curl and Gilman, who are viewed as more stable, trusted starters, even if neither is truly above average.

That reality explains why the 49ers continue to explore upgrades at the position. Brown would struggle to justify a deal worth $5 million per year or more on the open market, especially given his inconsistency and replaceable traits.

However, Brown compares favorably to the next tier of safeties. He has been just as productive, if not more so, than Woods, Harris, and Pola-Mao. So, while Brown may not be the long-term answer, he is better than many of the “replacement-level” starters teams settle for around the league.

That positioning helps define a reasonable contract range. Brown is clearly worth more than the $4 million-per-year safeties, but he hasn’t shown enough to justify pushing into the $4.5–$5 million range.

A three-year, $13 million deal, averaging roughly $4.3 million per year, feels like the sweet spot. It would give Brown a meaningful raise and added financial security while protecting the 49ers if he plateaus. At the same time, it keeps the door open for value if he takes a step forward and solidifies himself as a reliable starter.

Even if the team continues to look for upgrades, Brown’s ability to contribute on special teams and slide into sub-packages would prevent this deal from becoming an overpay.

The question now is whether the 49ers are willing to make that commitment, or if they’ll gamble on finding an upgrade that, so far, has proven elusive.