Brown is starting because the 49ers lost Talanoa Hufanga to a season-ending ACL injury. If Brown can't play, recently-signed veteran Logan Ryan will take his place alongside Tashaun Gipson.
"It's a knee sprain, and there's timelines on that, but those are just that, timelines," general manager John Lynch told Guy Haberman and John Dickinson Friday morning on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "And Ji'Ayir is eager. He's young, so he heals quickly. And it's one of those [things] that's going to go right down to the wire. I know he wants to play. He's been out moving around. We'll see if he can make it.
"If not, [S] Logan [Ryan] will fill in, and we feel very confident that he'll do a really good. A number of our injuries this week are going to be kind of going right down to the wire."
Lynch praised Brown's character and toughness, which was evident in his performance against the Ravens.
"I mean, he injured his knee in the first quarter of that game versus Baltimore, played the entire game," Lynch explained. "And then we find out that he's got an injury. And so you appreciate who he is, what he represents, and the way he's been playing.
"Unfortunately, there's patterns that happen in this league, and it seems that injuries kind of happen in bunches to certain position groups. It started with Hufanga. [S] George Odum then went down. And then Ji'Ayir comes in and is settling in and doing really well."
"Thank God, Tashaun Gipson, he's stayed healthy and kind of held it down back there, but we had to start looking for some depth."
This prompted the 49ers to sign Ryan, who is in his 11th NFL season. Though he has only played 12 defensive snaps since joining the team, Ryan may assume a more significant role on Sunday if Brown is unavailable.
"And it's nice when there's a vet like Logan Ryan out there," Lynch commented on the signing. "... And Logan, it's nice to have a guy [who's] got a lot of versatility to his game, has played some nickel over the years for championship teams in New England. [He] was last in Tampa and was playing at a high level; played well against us when we last played them [last year].
"So, Logan, it's nice that if Ji'Ayir can't go, that you can turn to a guy like Logan Ryan and feel very comfortable with what you have back there."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers GM says starting safety Ji'Ayir Brown making "game-changing plays"
His career has been up and down so far, but third-year safety Ji'Ayir Brown is beginning to play with more consistency. And he's making an impact on the San Francisco 49ers' injury-plagued defense. Coming off his best game as a pro, in which he had two interceptions against the... -
49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown named NFC Defensive Player of the Week
San Francisco 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown has been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after a standout Week 12 performance against the Carolina Panthers. Brown delivered one of the strongest games of his NFL career, finishing with five tackles and two passes... -
NFL insider links 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk to Commanders
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk may be nearing the end of his tenure in the Bay Area. That became a growing assumption after news broke of the team voiding his 2026 guaranteed salary—a move that still hasn't been fully explained. However, ESPN reported that... -
John Lynch sets the record straight on 49ers' relationship with Brandon Aiyuk
The Brandon Aiyuk situation took a dramatic turn last week when The Athletic reported that the San Francisco 49ers had voided the wide receiver's guaranteed 2026 salary, a move that signaled a potential split between the team and its player. Head coach Kyle Shanahan later...