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Jason Verrett is finally practicing again. It was a year ago when he suffered the Achilles injury that forced him to miss the entire 2018 season. Injuries have riddled his NFL career. He has landed on injured reserve in four of his five NFL seasons.
That one healthy season in 2015, though, resulted in a Pro Bowl selection. That's the player the 49ers hope they signed. That's who they hope shows up on Sundays.
Verrett spoke with reporters on Monday and discussed getting back on the practice field with his new teammates.
"It's something that you miss," Verrett said. "For me, it's been a while since I've had the pads on. Being out there the first day, being able to have it, running around, it's just that good feeling again."
Verrett's injury, by the way, is similar to the one Richard Sherman suffered before joining the 49ers, but with one significant difference. Verrett said he didn't have sutures put in place while repairing the damage. Those sutures
caused a lot of pain for Sherman throughout the 2018 season. The veteran finally had them removed in late-February and is feeling like his old self again.
Verrett won't have to deal with that limitation. What he will have to deal with are the mental hurdles involved in his return from injury. Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee asked Verrett what the biggest hurdle has been.
"Just confidence," he responded. "Getting confidence after the injury I dealt with, and being out there in full pads, getting the speed back down. So I'd just say confidence is the biggest thing for me."
Sherman told Verrett that it wasn't until he was a year removed from the injury that he felt 100 percent. That's music to Verrett's ears because that's where he is now.
"My Achilles feels good," he told Grant Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. "It's just about the mental reps, along with physically being out there, just gaining that confidence."
Verrett insists he's on track to play in the 49ers' first preseason game, an August 10 matchup at Levi's Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys.
There is no doubt that Trent Williams is among the most athletic offensive linemen in the NFL. The tackle joined the San Francisco 49ers via a trade in April and will replace another athletic offensive lineman in recently retired Joe Staley.
It's not often that a team can lose a player like Staley and gain one like Williams. The 49ers offensive line shouldn't miss a beat during the transition, and some might argue that it may have improved with the switch.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was in Washington when the team drafted Williams and is excited to bring him to the Bay Area. Shanahan knows a good NFL tackle when he sees one.
"I've been so fortunate, just in the places I've been, to be with some of the best tackles in the league," Shanahan told Greg
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel had surgery last week after suffering a Jones fracture in his left foot. While still at the hospital, he said the procedure "went perfect," and provided an update on Wednesday during a lengthy Instagram discussion with @OurSf49ers.
Samuel shared that his foot is doing well, and the injury occurred as he ran a route during the player-organized workouts in Tennessee. The update comes courtesy of David Lombardi of The Athletic.
On an IG Live with @OurSf49ers, Deebo Samuel says his foot is
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and his family watched in disgust, horror, and sadness as reports came in about the death of George Floyd, which led to nationwide protests and greater awareness surrounding the issues of social injustice and systematic discrimination.
"It was terrible. It was so graphic," Lynch told Greg Papa this week during the 49ers' virtual State of the Franchise event. "I've got chills right now, talking about it."
CEO Jed York announced in May that the team is donating $1 million to organizations striving to create real change. That's in addition to the $1 million the team donated toward the cause in
