Why Ji'Ayir Brown's call to 49ers legends is concerning

In the NFL, sometimes the gap between a player's perception of himself and the reality of game film is wide. There are often too many people surrounding the player who tell him only what he wants to hear. Because of this, a young player can be easily convinced that he is better than he actually is. And when a fragile ego collides with the unfiltered critique of franchise legends, the results can be explosive. Such was the case recently with San Francisco 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown.

In a video for "The Grit Code" podcast this week, former 49ers safety Donte Whitner pulled back the curtain on an interesting conversation. According to Whitner, Brown reached out directly via phone to him and legendary cornerback Richard Sherman. The goal? To "check" them for daring to analyze his lackluster play.

"Ji'Ayir f--king Brown calling me on the phone, trying to check me, telling me I can't talk bad about him when he has a bad play," Whitner revealed. "He called me and Richard Sherman on the phone, that he used to respect us and that we're not keeping it G because we told the truth about his deficiencies.

"Ain't that some bulls--t? You f--king know that you played like s--t last year."

When Whitner pressed Brown on whether he honestly believed he played like a top safety who deserved a Pro Bowl nod last season, Brown's answer was a definitive "Yeah." "I said, 'Ji'Ayir, honestly, do you feel like you played like a top safety last year?'" Whitner asked. "He said, 'Yeah.' I said, 'So, you felt like you should have made the Pro Bowl last year?' He was like, 'Yeah.' In that moment, I knew that the kid was just f--king delusional."

Confidence is mandatory to play in the NFL. It can help propel you. Arrogance, however, blinds us to the truth. If Brown spent as much time studying his own tape as he did auditing podcasts, he would see a player whose performance has noticeably regressed since his promising rookie campaign.

I thought Brown played well as a rookie in 2023 under Steve Wilks. He even had an interception in the Super Bowl. But since 2023, Brown has not played as well. And I've been critical of his play the past two seasons. (Of course, when he plays well, I have been more than happy to give him credit.)

The numbers back me up, too, painting a picture of a young defender who doesn't seem to be improving. Consider his 2025 season:

• Career-Low Metrics: Brown finished the season with a disappointing 61.7 overall defensive grade (61st among 98 qualified safeties) from Pro Football Focus, dragged down by an ugly 58.5 coverage grade.
• Targeted: Opposing quarterbacks completed 25 passes against Brown and had a passer rating of 99.1 when targeting him (regular season and postseason).
• The Damage: He surrendered a staggering six touchdowns while coming away with just two interceptions.
• The Fundamentals: The film exposed glaring issues with missed tackles, sluggish pre-snap communication, and a failure to maintain depth and leverage in Cover 2 schemes. Brown also plays with dirty eyes, meaning he's watching what's going on in the backfield too much.

To look at that body of work and conclude that you played at a Pro Bowl level isn't just overly optimistic; it is a complete detachment from reality. And for me, it's not even the most concerning part. If Brown is too arrogant to heed advice from Whitner (a three-time Pro Bowler, at Brown's position, who made one of the most iconic defensive plays in 49ers postseason history) or Sherman (a future Hall of Famer), then I question how much he can improve.

I don't play safety for the San Francisco 49ers, but if I did, when players like Sherman and Whitner speak, I'd listen. These aren't casual talking heads hunting for clickbait—they are elite football minds who know exactly what championship-caliber execution looks like in a secondary. Instead of picking up the phone to aggressively press two veterans who have reached the mountaintop, Brown should have been picking up a notebook.

Now, there is some hope that new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris can get more out of Brown. Morris, like Wilks, has a reputation for developing defensive backs. Maybe this marriage will benefit the young safety.

The 49ers are still entrenched in a championship window where patience for developmental errors is razor-thin. If Brown continues to care more about protecting his ego than protecting the back end of the defense, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch will quickly find someone who values film over feelings.

The good news? Brown has the talent to do it. The question is, does he have the humility?