Kyle Shanahan hated naming his starting safeties last year, and honestly, who could blame him? Heading into that Week 1 matchup against our own Seattle Seahawks, the Niners’ secondary was already looking like a headache, and it stayed that way. They rolled out rookie Marques Sigle and veteran Jason Pinnock, a Day 3 pick and a dude who clearly wasn’t ready for prime time. Fast forward to this season, and it feels like the same old song for San Francisco’s defensive backfield.
The Rookie Rollercoaster and the Veteran Flop
Let’s just say Sigle’s debut was a total mixed bag. The ball has a way of finding you when you’re a defensive back struggling, and for Sigle, it was like a magnet. In his first month and a half, he allowed a near-perfect passer rating on 27 targets, with a mind-boggling 23 completions. Yeah, he was probably in a position to make a play on about 20 of those, but that’s not good enough, is it? He showed a *bit* of promise, but that’s a mighty thin silver lining.
Then there was Jason Pinnock. Yikes. This guy let 88.5% of his 26 targets get completed, including four touchdowns, and didn’t register a single pass breakup. ZERO. That’s just unacceptable in the big leagues. It’s pretty clear the 49ers were just trying to hold on until Malik Mustapha got back from injury. By Week 7, both Sigle and Pinnock were riding the pine, their snaps cut in half.
Mustapha’s Return and Brown’s ‘Slight’ Bump
Enter Ji’Ayir Brown, or “Tig” as he’s apparently known. He took over as a starter by Week 7 and never looked back, finishing the season allowing 61.5% completions. He also snagged a pair of interceptions and two pass breakups, which is nice, but he still gave up six touchdowns. So, a slight increase in the floor, but are we really impressed? Malik Mustapha slowly worked his way back into the lineup, becoming cemented as a starter by Week 8. His 15% missed tackle rate was the lowest of the bunch, but let’s be real, it still pales in comparison to the veterans like Jimmie Ward and Jaquaski Tartt, who made far fewer mistakes. Mustapha mostly limited coverage damage, outside of one 44-yarder in his first start against the Texans.
So, here we are again. Will Mustapha need to ease back into shape before starting this season, or will Raheem Morris trust him right out of the gate? The Niners’ defense ended last season with Brown and Sigle as the starting duo. It’s going to be a fluid situation until someone steps up, or someone collapses. This early in the season, you’ve got to wonder if they’ll ever find two guys they can truly trust back there.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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