Whitner Calls 49ers Safety Brown Delusional Over 2025 Self-Assessment

4 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · May 14

Donte Whitner said Ji'Ayir Brown called him after criticism and insisted he played like a top safety in 2025, a response Whitner said proved Brown was "delusional."
On his podcast, Whitner said Brown also believed he had played at a Pro Bowl level, rejecting Whitner's and Richard Sherman's public critiques of his season.
Whitner argued Brown must improve in deep-half coverage, middle-of-field play, pre-snap communication and route recognition, framing those areas as the gap between Brown's self-view and his actual performance.
The exchange keeps focus on Brown's development heading into 2026, with the former 49ers safety casting self-awareness as a key hurdle for the young defender.

Can a new coach help safety Ji’Ayir Brown silence a team legend who publicly called him 'delusional'?

Will the 49ers' historic two-continent travel schedule forge a championship team or lead to a season of burnout?