49ers notebook: How 2019 helped Jason Verrett; Williams returns to practice

Jason Verrett played just four defensive snaps in 2019 before he had to shut it down.

At that point, when he was put on injured reserve after allowing a long pass interference and getting beat for a deep touchdown Week 3 against the Steelers, it appeared his career might be over given his lengthy injury history.

But in 2020, Verrett, 29, is statistically one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, in large part because he was able to use his time on injured reserve last season productively.

“Last year, just was a lot, man,” Verrett said Thursday. “Coming back from an ACL, coming back from an Achilles, those are tough injuries. And I just think the Niners did a good job of noticing that, noticing that I needed rest, noticing that I needed time to get my body stronger and healthier.”

Verrett was just over a year removed from tearing his Achilles during a conditioning test with the Chargers before the start of training camp in 2018. That came a year after being placed on season-ending injured reserve with complications from an ACL tear from Oct. 2016.

Essentially, the 49ers decided Verrett would be best served to take time off to get his legs back underneath him rather than push it. It appears to be paying off now that Verrett is arguably the team’s best cornerback with Richard Sherman on injured reserve recovering from a calf injury.

“So I think the IR situation for me last year ended up working out. I got my speed back, I got my strength back,” Verret said. “And fast forward to where I am now, those injuries are behind me.”

After finishing with an interception and two pass breakups in Sunday’s key victory over the Rams, Verrett leads all cornerbacks with a 7.8 passer rating allowed when targeted and hasn’t allowed a reception longer than nine yards, according to Pro Football Focus.

Kittle credits Garoppolo for ‘National Tight End Day’

The NFL has made Sunday “National Tight End Day,” an idea that was started by 49ers tight end George Kittle last season. Tight ends around the league are going to be mic’d up and there’s going to be a social media campaign promoting it.

Kittle didn’t come up with the idea on his own. His quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, was the first one to coin the term.

It started before the Week 2 game in 2018 when the 49ers hosted the Detroit Lions.

“It was a conversation between Garrett Celek, Jimmy G and myself,” Kittle said Thursday. “I’m pretty sure it was the day that all the tight ends were active, and so, Jimmy G was like, ‘what is this, national tight end day?’

“Yeah, it’s a holiday, man,” Kittle continued. “And we just kind of rolled with it.”

Celek, who retired from the 49ers after last season following eight seasons, scored a touchdown that day, an 11-yarder in the third quarter of the 30-27 victory.

“Those guys, they need some love too. They don’t get enough of it in my opinion,” Garoppolo said. “I was just trying to get George, Celek, all those guys fired up. Started declaring it national tight end day and now it’s a holiday. So, congrats for those guys.”

Slowing Newton top priority for 49ers defense

The new wrinkle with the Patriots this season, of course, is having Cam Newton under center in place of Tom Brady.

It’s allowed the Patriots to be more creative with the design of their offense, which includes designed quarterback runs. Newton had 10 carries for a team-leading 76 yards last week against Denver.

Newton is third among all NFL quarterbacks with 225 rushing yards and is second with five rushing touchdowns. No other Patriot has scored more than three total touchdowns.

Which is notable given the 49ers have allowed the most rushing yards from quarterbacks of any defense in the NFL with 231. Defending Newton, who is a defensive end-like 6-foot-5 and 245-pounds, is an entirely different than challenge than other mobile quarterbacks San Francisco has faced, like the much smaller and more elusive Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson.

“(Newton) looks like everyone’s Madden figure when you create a player on Madden,” defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said Thursday, noting Newton looks more a player who lines up in three-point stance than behind center.

“He’s that big. So he’s a freak athlete. He’s got an unbelievable arm. He’s got great presence in the pocket where he can feel and slide. He’s not looking to scramble. He stands in there tall and the issue with Cam is that you’ll bounce off him if you don’t bring everything you’ve got with you.”

Trent Williams returns to practice

The 49ers received some good news on the injury front, which feels like a rarity in 2020. Left tackle Trent Williams, who missed Wednesday’s practice because of an ankle sprain, returned to practice Thursday as a limited participant. It appears likely he won’t miss any time and play Sunday against the Patriots.

▪ Players who did not practice: linebacker Kwon Alexander (ankle), running back Raheem Mostert (ankle) and safety Jaquiski Tartt (groin).

Limited: Williams and running back Jeff Wilson Jr. (calf). Cornerback Dontae Johnson was a full participant Thursday after being limited Wednesday with a groin injury suffered Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

▪ There was also encouraging signs at Thursday’s practice from rehabbing players. Slot cornerback K’Waun Williams was seen running around, mimicking coverages and catching passes on the side field. He’s eligible to return off injured reserve for the first time next week after sustaining a knee injury against Week 4.

Tight end Jordan Reed, who also had a knee injury against the New York Giants a week earlier, was doing 100-yard sprints with a football in his hand. The initial prognosis for his injury was six-to-eight weeks, though he could be ahead of schedule. Sunday’s game is four weeks from the injury.

This story was originally published October 22, 2020 at 4:00 PM.