Former 49ers safety Donte Whitner had some harsh words for Ji’Ayir Brown

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 3: Ji'ayir Brown #27 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a play during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on January 03, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images) | Getty Images For the longest time, fans of the game wanted to hear from former athletes. After all, they played, so their opinions should matter.

Then, you turn on the TV and see that these athletes, despite their experience, often say something equally as outlandish or off the wall as any other analyst. To say former San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner has some takes is an understatement. Whitner’s comp for rookie Romello Height is Kayvon Thibodeaux.

It can’t be stylistically, because there’s about a 15-pound difference. The playing style couldn’t be any more different. On Tuesday, Whitner spoke about safety, Ji’Ayir Brown : Ji’Ayir f cking 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.

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 bullsht? You fcking know that you played like sht last year.