One of the early standouts for the San Francisco 49ers in training camp has been safety Ji’Ayir Brown. That’s a big deal given he was one of the question marks coming into the season. A stream of uneven play has plagued the young safety over the past few years.
He seems to be much more comfortable in new coordinator Raheem Morris’ defense and said as much in comments to the media. His candid words certainly felt like a slight jab at former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh:
Raheem’s dope. He wants football players. Previous schemes we’ve been in haven’t wanted that. Raheem wants you to play football. He wants instinct with players. He wants players who can get out there and play ball and read the quarterback.
If that was a shot at Saleh, many 49ers fans won’t have it. Saleh coached his tail off to get the most out of a bruised and battered defense last season and was rewarded with another NFL head coaching opportunity.
Brown even reclaimed his starting safety role last season, so he doesn’t have all that much to be upset about.
Raheem Morris has brought stability to an Ji'Ayir Brown's inconsistencies
To be fair, Brown has played under a different defensive coordinator every season he’s been in the NFL. In his rookie season, he was under Steve Wilks and actually played quite well after having to fill in for an injured Talanoa Hufanga. The former Nittany Lion had two regular-season interceptions and even picked off Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. Wilks had an extensive history with defensive backs, which likely helped Brown in his inaugural season.
After Wilks was fired, he was replaced by Nick Sorensen, whose defense lacked any sort of real identity or vision. Brown suffered as a result, exhibiting clear sophomore regressions.
Year three under Saleh was a bit more of a mixed bag from the safeties as a whole. They weren’t put in the best position to succeed with all the injuries to the pass rush, but the play was still uneven. Brown again had two picks on the year.
Perhaps Morris will get the most out of him. The journeyman coach has been known to get the most out of his safeties, and, if the language that he’s already speaking is resonating with Brown, then it is a huge development for the team’s defense. If the trend continues, then 2026 could lead to his best season in the NFL to date.
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