The San Francisco 49ers keep betting on Jason Verrett, first signing the veteran cornerback to a one-year deal in 2019. Verrett struggled with injuries during his first five NFL seasons, all of which were spent with the Chargers. It's not out of the ordinary for the Niners to gamble on a low-cost, high-potential player, and Verrett cost the team just $3.6 million that season.
The former Charger was coming off an Achilles injury that sidelined him for all of the 2018 season. During his first season with the 49ers, Verrett tried to contribute but eventually landed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. The bad luck, which included landing on injured reserve in four out of five NFL seasons, continued.
No one doubts Verrett's talent when healthy. In his one healthy season (2015) before joining San Francisco, the cornerback was named to the Pro Bowl. However, his inability to contribute in his first season with the 49ers left fans skeptical that he ever would.
Then 2020 happened. After re-signing with the 49ers, Verrett was impressive. The team suffered a historic number of injuries that season, resulting in a six-win season. Verrett, however, started 13 games, matching his career-high from 2015. Moreover, he was arguably the team's best cornerback that season. Ahkello Witherspoon earned a higher Pro Football Focus grade in 2020, but Verrett played 469 more snaps than Witherspoon, giving up fewer touchdowns and allowing a lower passer rating (76.3 compared to 83.3) when targeted by opposing quarterbacks.
The unthinkable happened after it looked like the cornerback had finally overcome his poor luck. Verrett entered the 49ers' 2021 campaign as a starter but suffered a torn ACL in Week 1. His season was quickly over.
The 49ers love Verrett and what he brings to the locker room, so they were willing to gamble once more. San Francisco signed the cornerback to another low-cost one-year deal, hoping he can at least contribute during the upcoming season.
Verrett has been present as his teammates participate in organized team activities. Obviously, he has not been medically cleared to participate himself. While others might opt to give up after a discouraging string of injuries, Verrett pushes forward—another testament to his passion for the game.
"Jason Verrett, first and foremost, his presence, just being out there, I think it lifts us all up," defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans told reporters on Wednesday. "Just seeing J.V., just the energy that he brings. Everybody is pulling for J.V. He had a tough injury last year, and we missed him a ton, so he's fighting to get back, and he's doing everything in his power to knock out his rehab and be in the best shape possible for when he's able to come back.
"I'm excited just to see him around the building, just to see him talking with the guys. It's great having J.V. and his presence felt in that room."
The 49ers have a lot of young players at cornerback. The team drafted two corners—Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir—last year. They also added Charvarius Ward—who is entering his fifth season in the NFL—via free agency this offseason and drafted Samuel Womack and Tariq Castro-Fields in April.
Verrett just being around is impacting the group.
"Former All-Pro player, Pro Bowl player—if there's anybody those guys can learn from, it's J.V.," Ryans shared. "So with him, again, how smart of a player he is, also with the talent, his ability is just off the charts. So if I'm one of those young guys, I'm definitely sitting by him, talking to him as much as I possibly can."
San Francisco appears set at cornerback, with Ward, Emmanuel Moseley, and Ambry Thomas the favorites to consume most of the playing time. However, if he can get healthy, Verrett can help bolster the group without being burdened with a significant workload while coming off a serious injury.
"That guy's special," defensive pass-game specialist and secondary coach Cory Undlin said of Verrett last week. "I mean, he's been in every meeting here in Phase 3, doing his rehab. I lean on him a lot. The guy's played a lot of ball. His IQ is off the charts. ... The guy's a complete professional. You wouldn't even know that he's not out there [based on his contributions in the cornerback room]."
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