The San Francisco 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks in the season opener in an NFC West showdown. Last season was a step back for head coach Kyle Shanahan's team, as they went 6-11 in an injury-filled year.
The past couple of months have allowed the 49ers coaching staff to see who could be an option to get playing time this season, and the preseason pointed that out for safety Marques Sigle. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft by San Francisco, and he's shown some flashes that he's ready to contribute as a pro.
Marques Sigle Could Be Fighting for Playing Time with 49ers
The 49ers' safety room is far from locked down. Malik Mustapha tore his ACL at the end of last season and was placed on the reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Jason Pinnock has been nursing a heel injury over the last few weeks, and the San Francisco released safety Richie Grant earlier this week.
Ji'Ayir Brown and Pinnock are the projected starters, but Sigle is a player who should be the team's third safety going into the 2025 season.
During the 2025 preseason, Sigle posted 14 total tackles, with a 66.3 run-defense grade per Pro Football Focus. Not only has his play been impressive, but he received some praise from general manager John Lynch.
John Lynch on safety Marques Sigle:
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) August 28, 2025
“He’s had a fantastic offseason. We have a metric that we call SWARM. Which is basically when the ball is thrown, how fast can you get to the ball carrier. Last year during the draft our analytics department nicknamed Malik Mustapha 'The… pic.twitter.com/TUFCb1kIPd
"He’s had a fantastic offseason. We have a metric that we call SWARM. Which is basically when the ball is thrown, how fast can you get to the ball carrier," Lynch said. "Last year during the draft our analytics department nicknamed Malik Mustapha 'The Sultan of Swarm.' Nobody in college football got to the ball faster than Malik. This year The Sultan of Swarm was Sigle. I think those translate really well in our defense. When you run a 4.3 and striking people like Sigle, it’s a good combination."
Throughout training camp, Sigle has rotated in with the starters and even started a preseason matchup.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh even called out Sigle for his willingness to learn. Considering that Lynch and Saleh made it a priority to call him out in a positive light to the media shows how they view him inside the building.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Sigle ran a 4.37 40-yard dash and posted a 38" vertical jump. He has the traits that make him a fascinating player, but his play over the last few months has put the 49ers' rookie in a position to get some playing time earlier in the year.