San Francisco 49ers to bring back cornerback Jason Verrett on one-year deal
The 49ers are bringing back another one of their key free agents.
General manager John Lynch on Monday broke the news the team was bringing back cornerback Jason Verrett, giving San Francisco another answer in their secondary that will be a focus this offseason.
Verrett elected to take a one-year deal, according to a report from NFL Network, worth $5.5 million with a $1 million incentive bonus if he reaches the Pro Bowl.
The assumption is Verrett is taking a smaller deal to bet on himself with a chance to go back into the free agent pool next offseason when teams have more money to spend with a higher salary cap. The salary cap for 2021, recently announced at $182.5 million, is roughly $15.5 million lower than last season because of the pandemic, and could be in the $210 million range in 2022. The 49ers had roughly $32 million in cap room at the start of free agency.
Verrett played at a high level for San Francisco in 2020 after appearing in just five games from 2016 through 2019 due to an array of injuries including a torn ACL. He had 60 tackles, two interceptions, seven pass breakups and allowed a 76.2 passer rating when targeted. He was Pro Football Focus’ ninth-highest graded cornerback.
The former first-round pick of the Chargers went to the Pro Bowl in 2015. He signed with San Francisco in 2019 and appeared in just one game due to an ankle injury, but he grew comfortable with the team’s training staff during his recovery. He said that would factor into his free agency decision at the end of 2020.
“Coming here and seeing how they turned things around for me physically, mentally, it’s kind of hard to not want to come back,” Verrett said Jan. 4. “It’s kind of hard to not want to see if we can work things out just because it’s a class act organization. They’ve done a hell of a job with me throughout my time last year and throughout this year and now that I’m healthy and I love where my body is, it’s definitely going to be a tough decision, for sure.”
Verrett, a Fairfield native who played at Santa Rosa Junior College before going to TCU, has a chance to be the 49ers’ top cornerback in the upcoming season as the team is expected to lose star veteran Richard Sherman. San Francisco over the weekend re-signed restricted free agent Emmanuel Moseley, who figures to play a key role at cornerback.
However, questions in the secondary remain. Strong safety Jaquiski Tartt is unsigned and isn’t expected to a priority for San Francisco. Slot cornerback K’Waun Williams could also be on the move leaving a significant void on the inside. There’s a chance Moseley would replace Williams at nickel, but the 49ers would need to add another starting-caliber cornerback in free agency or the draft.
Bringing back Verrett came on the heels of the team announcing a five-year contract for Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk on Monday.
