Veteran 49ers cornerback Jason Verrett will apparently not get time off. Verrett, in the 10th season of his NFL career, will undergo a heartbreaking eighth season-ending surgery. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Verrett suffered a shoulder injury in practice today that will require surgery on his rotator cuff.
Injuries overshadow Verrett’s career. Since being selected 25th overall by the Chargers in the 2014 NFL Draft, Verrett has missed two full seasons, eight in all, with injuries ranging from foot injuries to torn Achilles tendons. This is Verrett’s first upper-body injury since his rookie season, when three labral tears and a rotator cuff forced him to miss 10 games.
Losing Verrett will be tough for San Francisco, even though the team holds the one seed in the NFC. With their playoff spot already decided, the 49ers plan to rest several starters for this weekend’s regular season finale against the Rams. With key players likely to be rested on Sunday, Verrett was expected to get extended playing time against Los Angeles. In his only game of the year, Verrett only saw five snaps, so that would have been an opportunity for the team to get its veteran some time to contribute to the playoff run of the 49ers.
The injury reportedly occurred when Verrett jumped on a pass during practice and landed on his shoulder. Head coach Kyle Shanahan estimates that the timetable for Verrett’s potential return is about four to six months of rehabilitation. That would give Verrett some time to go back in time to the 2024 NFL season if he is interested in continuing to play at age 33 and finds a team that offers him another opportunity.
Aside from Ambry Thomas, who is on the injury report with a hand injury, no other cornerbacks will get a full rest this weekend. The likely plan was for the starters to sit after a series or two, but with Verret out, they may have to play a little more than expected..
