Jason Verrett picked off quarterback Alex Smith during the San Francisco 49ers' 23-15 loss to Washington on Sunday. While Smith may be a shoo-in for the Comeback Player of the Year award, Verrett's journey has also been impressive.
Before 2020, the cornerback landed on injured reserve during five of his six NFL seasons, including last season with the 49ers. That one healthy season was in 2015 when Verrett earned a Pro Bowl selection. This season, he is Pro Football Focus' seventh-highest graded cornerback.
Verrett says there were former teammates from his time with the Chargers who were in his corner during his comeback attempt. Once joining San Francisco, his supporters included new teammate Richard Sherman.
"Fast forward, when I got here to the Niners, Sherman dealt with the Achilles injury, and he stood in my corner with my ankle injury that I had in 2019, just kept having those positive thoughts," Verrett shared on KNBR's Much & Mac show. "He knows the type of grind that I have in me, and the words that he was giving me throughout that process helped me to get where I'm at now."
Like Verrett and so many other Niners, Sherman is scheduled to become a free agent after this season. The All-Pro cornerback has been pessimistic about his potential return, understanding the salary-cap constraints in which the 49ers will find themselves. Although, general manager John Lynch says San Francisco hasn't closed the door on Sherman's time in red and gold.
In addition to sharing what Sherman has meant to him personally, Verrett also discussed his impact on the team.
"A true leader, pro, Hall of Famer, the whole nine yards," Verrett said of Sherman. "A guy that you can lean on whenever you're in a tough situation. A guy that knows the ins and outs on the football field, as well. I'm definitely happy that we've been able to share the field this year."
So what about Verrett's potential return to the Niners? With three games left in the season, the cornerback isn't focused on that. However, he does hold the 49ers in high esteem.
"My main focus right now is trying to win these last three games, to try to finish strong, get us a shot at the playoffs," Verrett said. "I'm always going to tip my hat off to this organization for allowing me to come back, doing everything that they did to get my body to where it is now. I've got nothing but respect for this team and this organization and how everything has been so far.
"The focus right now is just on these last three games, and I'll deal with free agency when it comes."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Verrett below.