Ji'Ayir Brown demotion highlights need for 49ers to re-sign Talanoa Hufanga

The 49ers benched Ji'Ayir Brown in Week 14 after Talanoa Hufanga returned from injury, and the latter's pending free agency is now a concern.

There were plenty of notable takeaways from the San Francisco 49ers' Week 14 home win over the Chicago Bears, including the return of a resurgent offense and effective defense at a point where the Niners need every win they can get to save their dwindling playoff hopes.

Buried within all the storylines was one depth-chart move that might have gone unnoticed.

Veteran safety Talanoa Hufanga, returning off injured reserve after suffering a wrist injury earlier in the season, was given his old starting job back. His position-mate starter, rookie Malik Mustapha, was also listed with the ones on the opening defensive snap.

That meant second-year pro defensive back, Ji'Ayir Brown, had been shown the bench.

Brown, San Francisco's top pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, assumed a starter's role in the wake of Hufanga's ACL tear suffered halfway through last season. By nearly every account, Brown looked promising enough to suggest the 49ers could move on from Hufanga once his contract expired after 2024. In line with Mustapha's own ascent, the Niners appeared to have their starting safety tandem set for the foreseeable future.

Not so much now.

Ji'Ayir Brown's struggles and benching could lead to 49ers needing to re-sign Talanoa Hufanga

Year two hasn't been so kind to Brown, and arguably the defining moment was giving up a 65-yard touchdown run to running back James Cook in the Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Once Hufanga was activated off injured reserve, the decision to bench Brown seemed easy. While the former was on something of a pitch count, allowing Brown to play 15 snaps, the second-year pro out of Penn State was still credited with allowing one of Chicago's two passing touchdowns of the day:

Brown was well out of position and had no chance to make up the ground lost on the score by Chicago wide receiver Rome Odunze.

In contrast, Hufanga apparently displayed much more of a veteran's prowess:

Hufanga, a 2021 All-Pro, might be a commodity San Francisco can't afford to retain in 2025 and beyond, especially knowing it'll commit big money to quarterback Brock Purdy this offseason.

However, the desire to get both younger and cheaper is offset by a growing concern that Brown might not be the best option to pair with Mustapha going forward.

Now, if there is a slight bonus, the prospects of re-signing Hufanga could be aided by his own recent injuries, the 2023 ACL tear and the 2024 wrist injury, both of which could lessen his open-market value.

Still, that's a risk the 49ers will have to assess. Is it worth spending more money on a veteran who has a bit of an injury reputation now, or is it a smarter choice to hope that Brown bounces back from an otherwise frustrating year?

If Week 14 was any indication, the Niners are likely leaning toward the former option.

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