We walk through Tre Brown’s contract and his history to determine whether the Brown will be CB3 for the 49ers.
The San Francisco 49ers signed multiple defensive backs in free agency, but most feel like depth pieces or are special teams players. The player who is most likely to find himself in a starter-like role is former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown.
Per Over the Cap, Brown’s one-year deal has $165,000 in guaranteed money. Here’s more details about Brown’s contract:
- Cap number: $1,670,000
- Guaranteed salary: $165,000
- Signing bonus: $335,000
- Workout bonus: $25,000
- Base salary: $1,170,000
- Per-game roster bonus: $170,000
Forgive us if we’re reluctant to come away thinking the 49ers are confident that Brown can be a difference maker in the secondary after Charvarius Ward’s departure, based on that contract.
Brown totaled just 260 snaps in his first two years because of that. But he found himself in the starting lineup in 2023. That season, Brown allowed 23 of his 40 targets to be completed, but was prone to letting the big play, as evidenced by his 7.8 yards per target allowed.
I’m always interested in how the players the Niners sign fared against the rest of the NFC West and the top teams in the NFC. Let’s walk through Brown’s season.
In Week 1 of 2023, Brown gave up three receptions for 72 yards, including a 20-yarder to Puka Nacua — it was a screen pass and Brown missed the tackle, then had to chase Puka down — and a 44-yarder to Tutu Atwell.
The following week against the Detroit Lions, Brown gave up a 39-yarder to Amon-Ra St. Brown, then surrendered a touchdown to Josh Reynolds near the goal line. Brown had a pick-six against Detroit, but it was a Jared Goff special where the ball was three yards behind the intended target and fell right into Brown’s lap.
In Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals, Josh Dobbs was under center. Brown contested one throw to Marqise Brown but also gave up a pair of passes, including a 21-yarder on which he committed defensive pass interference but still allowed a reception. Brown’s stats were minimal against the Rams, 49ers, and Cardinals in the second half of the season.
The only other NFC contender Seattle played that season was Philadelphia in Week 15. Brown went head to head with A.J. Brown five times and DeVonta Smith on a target. Brown surrendered four receptions on six targets for 50 yards and three first downs, including a pair of 15-yard gains. Brown did not look like he had any business guarding those two.
Brown suffered an ankle injury in 2024, which cost him his starting job after Week 6. He wouldn’t start a game for the rest of the season and didn’t see the field defensively until Week 16.
Allowing Darius Slayton to catch all five of his targets for 93 yards, three first downs, a touchdown, and one of those being 41 yards the week before suffering an injury likely didn’t instill confidence in the coaching staff.
Brown’s contract is low enough from a value perspective that it won’t count as a compensatory free agent addition, which is another reason that would lead you to believe the Niners are in the market for a cornerback with the NFL Draft in a month.
So, while it’s true the Niners have solidified their depth at cornerback in terms of quantity, they have yet to add a quality piece that is in the ballpark of Mooney’s talent level. In fairness, the 49ers were never going to find that in free agency based on the contracts they signed.