49ers’ Ji’Ayir Brown shines in prime-time after up-and-down start to NFL career

SANTA CLARA — After a rollercoaster start to his NFL career, Ji’Ayir Brown had a standout, two-interception performance in the 49ers’ 20-9 win over the Carolina Panthers. Coach Kyle Shanahan was very happy with the Penn State product’s performance. “He was awesome,” Shanahan said after the game. “We’ll see more on the tape, but it felt like it was his best game as a Niner. 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.”Brown, who had a quick start to his NFL career under then-defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, had a tougher time in his second year when Nick Sorensen took over the job for the 2024 season. Now, with Robert Saleh at the helm, Brown seems to have found his place in the 49ers’ defense. “God is great, God is great,” Brown said “I’ve always prided myself in being a ball hawk and it’s just been slow. Keep getting at it. Keep going. Keep taking it game by game, waiting on your opportunity. And tonight, I was able to capitalize.”Brown was known for his ability to...