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Three 49ers Whose Stock Rose in the Win Against the Panthers
Nov 24, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown (27) makes an interception against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Three 49ers Whose Stock Rose in the Win Against the Panthers

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Jose Sanchez  |  Last updated Nov 25, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Defeating the Carolina Panthers wasn't a pretty win by any means for the San Francisco 49ers, but it's a win nonetheless.

They will happily take it, no matter what it looks like. Usually, an ugly win doesn't have much of many performances that stood out. However, a few 49ers increased their stock in the win against the Panthers.

Ji'Ayir Brown

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Confidence can do a lot for a player performing at a high level, and that's exactly what Ji'Ayir Brown is playing with. Brown has now strung together back-to-back solid performances.

But his outing against the Panthers was the best game of his career. Brown tallied two interceptions, which is the most ever for him. He played like a man with his hair on fire in this game.

“He was awesome. We’ll see more on the tape, but it felt like it was his best game as a Niner," said Kyle Shanahan. "Think he's been playing at a high level here for a while, but those two picks were huge and looked like he made a number of good tackles too.”

Starting Brown over rookie Marques Sigle was initially a questionable choice. But there isn't a question now. Sigle isn't coming away with two interceptions like Brown. He's been proving the 49ers right for starting him.

Upton Stout

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Rookie Upton Stout has had a bit of a roller coaster season. He does some really good, then ends up becoming a liability. Yet, it hasn't deterred the 49ers from continuing to start him.

It's because they have so much belief that his highs will be more consistent, and it panned out that way against the Panthers. Like Brow, Stout was all over the place.

He made his presence felt in coverage, in run defense, and made an impact as a blitzer. This could be the game that skews his performance towards the high-end.

“I love how Stout plays. I think he plays exactly the way that we look for a 49er to play," Shanahan said. "The way he swarms to the ball would probably be the number one on our defense right now. I love how hard he competes and how fearless he is.”

Mac Jones

Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Brock Purdy was incredibly mediocre against the Panthers. He threw three interceptions against one of the worst pass-rushing defenses in the league.

The offense struggled to get much going thanks to him. Given how poorly he looked, it has made the stock of Mac Jones increase. The 49ers' offense was never that bad with Jones as the starter.

And while the 49ers aren't going to bench Purdy after one start, it does bring Jones back into the light. Comparisons to Jones will be brought up for the rest of this season with every performance from Purdy.

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This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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