Vic Fangio has said that Donte Whitner has been playing even better this season than when he reached the Pro Bowl in 2012.
The safety, who is currently in the process of changing his surname to "Hitner", has made 32 tackles and an interception so far this year.
The defensive coordinator told the team's website: "I think he's played even better than he had last year when he made the Pro Bowl. He's still tackling very well. He's running our operation back there.
"He's just playing with a lot more confidence. And he's playing a little bit faster. He's having a lot of fun and he's kind of become a leader of the secondary, and a leader on the team."
The 49ers face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
