What happened to Jason Verrett? 49ers handed major blow with star CB’s injury
Jason Verrett is out for the rest of the season due to a torn achilles, according to the San Francisco 49ers via Pro Football Talk. The injury occurred on Wednesday during practice, leaving the team a man down as the season hits a new gear. The 49ers cornerback has been injured off and on over the last several years.
Without Verrett, the team will be forced to lean on Charvarius Ward, Demmondre Lenoir, Samuel Womack, and Ambry Thomas. The team is currently ranked having the best defense in the league.
In 2022, the team surrendered an average of 285.9 yards per game. In terms of points per game, the team is ranked sixth overall, giving up 18.4 points per game.
In 2022, they are also in the top 10 in passing defense. Thus far, they are ranked eighth, giving up 199.3 yards per game. Will Jason Verrett's absence crush the team's fragile ecosystem in the secondary?
Jason Verrett return timeline
At 31 years old, the cornerback's recovery is anticipated to be on the slow side of the spectrum in terms of NFL injuries. A torn achilles could take a full year to recover from. Aside from wide receivers, cornerbacks run as much as anyone, meaning that they need their achilles to be in top shape to stick with opponents.
As such, the injury recovery is not anticipated to be a quick one. It will be his second season-ending injury in as many years. Last year, he tore an ACL in Week 1 and missed the entire season. Throughout his career, he's suffered injuries in just about every season going back to 2017.
The cornerback is currently playing on a one-year deal that expires at the end of the year. It was valued at just over $1 million, per Spotrac. Next year, coming off two significantly shortened seasons, many would be unsurprised if the cornerback failed to garner much interest in free agency.
Some wouldn't be surprised if he is picked up in December next season as teams look to get bonus ammunition available for a playoff run.
Verrett has been in the league from the 2014 season and has played in 40 games. He has, in this time, registered 125 solo tackles and 20 assisted. He also has seven interceptions to his name.