Jason Verrett excited about opportunity with 49ers: ‘I’m definitely a top corner in this league when I’m healthy’

Jason Verrett has had a rough NFL career over the past few years. Injuries forced the Pro Bowl cornerback to miss most or all of the past three seasons.

Verrett, 27, missed all of 2018 after suffering a torn Achilles tendon on the first day of training camp. He missed most of 2017 after undergoing knee surgery and most of 2016 with an ACL injury.

"It's been tough," Verrett told reporters on Thursday. "Smile-now-cry-later type of thing for me. There was a lot of dark moments dealing with a lot of the injuries but I came out the tunnel, and I'm ready just to get things rolling."

Verrett said that his body feels good and he is on track in his recovery from his Achilles injury. He went through a thorough physical with the San Francisco 49ers medical staff before signing his one-year deal on Thursday.

Verrett entered free agency just looking for a chance to prove himself. His last full season was in 2015 when he put up a performance impressive enough to earn a trip to the Pro Bowl.

"I know I'm definitely a top corner in this league when I'm healthy," Verrett said. "I've just got to prove it. The 49ers are giving me an opportunity to do that, and that's my plan."

The 27-year-old cornerback was in demand. He had multiple visits scheduled. In fact, Verrett planned to visit with the Houston Texans after his trip to Santa Clara. That trip to Texas won't happen now.

"I was just happy to have a team interested in me with everything that I've been through," Verrett said.

So what was it about Verrett's visit with the 49ers that convinced him to cancel his trip to Houston?

"Just the culture here, the vibe here," he answered. "Just the way the coaching staff is, the locker room, the facility. Everything from top to bottom is a class act organization."