Donte Whitner Says 49ers' Ji'Ayir Brown Is 'F--king Delusional' After Call Involving Richard Sherman

Former star safety Donte Whitner called out San Francisco 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown after his phone call with Whitner and former star cornerback Richard Sherman.

"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 said on his podcast, The Grit Code (h/t Kyle Posey of Niners Nation). "He called me and Richard Sherman on the phone, saying 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. I had to step back and collect myself, and I'm thinking, 'Whitner. Growth. Growth.'

"I said, 'Ji'Ayir, honestly, do you feel like you played like a top safety last year?' 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."

Brown is entering his fourth season with the 49ers after appearing in 17 games last year, including 13 starts.

The 26-year-old's performance in 2025 was previously brought up by Sherman when discussing San Francisco's safety room on a March 16 episode of The Richard Sherman Podcast.

"I think it gives me hesitation to start back off without any competition at the safety spot," Sherman said, via Dan Dempster of NBC Sports Bay Area. "If you just go in there and start Malik Mustapha and Ji'Ayir Brown, I mean that's fine, because I think at times Ji'Ayir played really good football and Malik Mustapha flashed and played really fast and aggressive."

"But again, there were times they did not play great football and you know it left the defense in a bad position and in a bad situation," he added. "I think that's something they have to address both in the draft and finding a veteran -- a veteran presence."

Brown finished with 76 tackles, six passes defended, two interceptions, two tackles for loss and one forced fumble last season.

It's worth noting that he struggled at times in coverage and allowed a 98.3 passer rating when targeted, according to Pro Football Focus. Brown also finished with 12 missed tackles in 2025.

Whitner knows what it takes to be a key piece of San Francisco's secondary, suiting up for the 49ers from 2011-13. He earned one Pro Bowl nod with the team and was a starter on the 2012 squad that made a Super Bowl XLVII appearance.

While Sherman spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, he also received one Pro Bowl honor across his three-year tenure on the 49ers from 2018-20.

San Francisco also went on a deep playoff run with Sherman in the mix, advancing to Super Bowl LIV during the 2019 season.

As the 49ers look to clinch a second consecutive playoff berth in 2026, tensions appear to be high between Whitner, Sherman and Brown.