The 49ers are looking to bring a very familiar cornerback back to the Bay Area.
Kyle Shanahan shared on Friday after practice that the team had worked out veteran corner Jason Verrett on Thursday and plans to sign him to the team's practice squad in the coming days.
“We tried him out,” Shanahan said. “We don’t have him signed yet. [We’ll] work over that this weekend and see how that ends up for next week. Most likely practice squad. That’s where he was in Houston [Texans], but nothing official yet.”
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Verrett was selected by the then-San Diego Chargers as the No. 25 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft and spent four seasons in Southern California. The shut-down corner appeared in only 25 games over that span due to a rash of devastating injuries including an ACL tear in 2016.
In 2019, the 49ers signed Verrett to a one-year prove-it deal as he made his way back from an Achilles tear that he suffered in training camp the year prior. A knee injury in Week 3 of 2019 ended his campaign early, but the club re-signed Verrett the following year after he considered retiring.
In 2020, Verrett appeared in 13 games for the 49ers and recorded 60 tackles — 50 solo, two for a loss and two interceptions. He was a leader for the young secondary which Shanahan found incredibly valuable.
“I think you guys know how I feel about J.V.,” Shanahan said. “It’s amazing he’s even back and able to do that stuff. If we’ve got a chance, we’d love to get him in here. J.V. has been one of the most respected guys we’ve had in our building.”
San Francisco 49ers
Verrett had a very productive training camp with the 49ers in 2021 but he suffered an ACL tear in the club’s Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions and did not play again. San Francisco re-signed Verrett in May of 2022 after his recovery, but during training camp that fall, Verrett suffered an Achilles injury that would end his season before it started.
The 49ers brought Verrett in for a workout in October prior to him signing with the Houston Texans' practice squad and Shanahan shared why it was one of the most unique workouts he’s seen.
“I remember when he did work out here, the first time, about a month ago,” Shanahan said. “We had about seven players just go out and watch it. Which I’ve never seen before. Just shows how our team felt about him.”
Shanahan’s respect for the veteran player is evident and Verrett’s leadership and determination would quickly be welcomed in the locker room.
“The way he carries himself, how talented he is, his footwork and how he played with us,” Shanahan said. “Guys always looked up to him in that way. I think he was a mentor to a lot of the guys, but it was just the perseverance and how he carried himself that guys loved.”