SANTA CLARA — While another rookie defensive back has gotten most of the attention at 49ers training camp, safety Marques Sigle quietly has risen up the team’s depth chart.
It has gotten to the point where it is not out of the question to believe Sigle could earn a starting role when the 49ers open the 2025 NFL season on Sept. 7 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Coach Kyle Shanahan was asked Monday if Sigle has a chance to be the Week 1 starter.
“Yeah, I’d say so,” Shanahan answered. “I think there’s a lot of open competition there. I thought he had a really good game, special teams and on defense, so I wouldn’t rule him out for that.”
The 49ers selected defensive players with each of their first five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Nickel back Upton Stout, chosen in the third round, has widely been regarded as the 49ers’ top rookie.
Although Stout currently is battling a calf issue, he appears to be in good shape to win the starting job at the start of the regular season.
Sigle was not one of the 49ers’ top-five defensive players. He was the eighth player the 49ers selected in the draft.
He was chosen in the fifth round at No. 160 overall out of Kansas State.
After sitting out the offseason program with an injury and getting off to a slow start in training camp, Sigle is gaining a lot of confidence and momentum.
He was impressive in practices over the past two weeks. He carried it over to the 49ers’ preseason opener on Saturday night.
Sigle recorded seven tackles before leaving the game with a knee contusion. He was back at practice on Monday.
He is working his way into the competition for a starting job against Ji’Ayir Brown and Jason Pinnock.
Brown started 13 games for the 49ers last season as a second-year pro. Pinnock started 16 games both of the past two years with the New York Giants.
Projected starting safety Malik Mustapha remains out of action as he recovers from surgery in January to repair a torn ACL. It is not known when he will be cleared to get back into action.
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