Third-year safety Ji’Ayir Brown is entering the most important season of his young NFL career, but reports indicate the San Francisco 49ers aren’t exactly holding the door open for him to re-sign with the team quickly as he enters the last year of his rookie contract.
With Brown set to hit free agency after 2026, ESPN’s Nick Wagoner reported this week that the 49ers don’t look as if they have any urgency to lock him up long-term.
After getting an extension done with left tackle Trent Williams, the 49ers don’t appear to be in a hurry to re-sign any more of their own pending free agents. Much like his first two seasons, Brown had an up-and-down 2025, so he figures to be part of a competition for a starting spot this season despite eventually claiming one last year. A strong season would better position him for a potential extension.
The 26-year-old safety posted 76 tackles, two interceptions, six passes defensed and a forced fumble across 17 games in 2025, playing 74% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps and starting 13 of 17 games. But Pro Football Focus graded him at just 61.7 overall — 62nd out of 98 qualified safeties — and flagged 12 missed tackles and a career-worst 15.8% missed tackle rate. He’s also surrendered 10 touchdowns against just nine career pass breakups.
While Brown is considered to be a contract-year breakout candidate by some, others believe he will have to compete with veteran safety Ashtyn Davis to retain his starting role on the defense.
Brown has looked the part this offseason. A training video circulating on social media showed the safety boxing alongside Fred Warner and Osa Odighizuwa during OTAs, and Brown’s hand speed and quickness stood out enough to turn heads online.
Brown, Davis and Marques Sigle are in a three-way battle to start alongside Malik Mustapha. The job is Brown’s to lose in 2026, and he’ll likely be playing for a big extension as well.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers ‘don’t appear to be in a hurry’ to re-sign impending free agent
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Niners Wire | USA TODAY Network
