San Francisco 49ers cornerback Jason Verrett always believed he would return to form. For the rest of us, it was a delightful surprise. After all, before this past season, five of his six NFL seasons ended on injured reserve. His one other healthy season came in 2015, which earned him a Pro Bowl nod.

Washington quarterback Alex Smith will be this season's AP Comeback Player of the Year. There is no doubt about that. During any other season, Verrett may have had a chance to earn the honor.


In his second season with San Francisco, Verrett started all 13 games in which he appeared, accumulating 60 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two interceptions, seven passes defensed, and was Pro Football Focus' eighth-highest graded cornerback.

Verrett's play contributed to Pro Football Focus ranking the 49ers secondary as the 11th-best in the league.

"Alex Smith appears to be a shoo-in for Comeback Player of the Year after what he endured," wrote Anthony Treash, "but in any other year, it would go to 49ers corner Jason Verrett. From Week 5 of 2016 through the 2019 season, Verrett played only 67 snaps due to various injuries. San Francisco gave him another shot this year, and he finished the regular season with the 10th-best coverage grade among outside corners."

Like much of the 49ers secondary, Verrett is scheduled to become a free agent. Richard Sherman, who appeared in just five games this season, Jaquiski Tartt, K'Waun Williams, and Ahkello Witherspoon are also among the team's lengthy list of players slated to hit the open market.

"While we saw Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon only on a limited basis this year, they played extremely well when on the field," added Treash. "Each played just under 200 coverage snaps on the outside, allowed 0.48 (second) and 0.87 (19th) yards, respectively, per coverage snap."

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