Jason Verrett considered retirement prior to signing with 49ers

Newly signed San Francisco 49ers cornerback Jason Verret considered retirement after suffering a slew of injuries, the latest being his Achilles tear.

With cornerback Jason Verrett signing a one-year prove-it deal with the San Francisco 49ers, 2019 really is a make-or-break year for the 27 year old.

Drafted by the San Diego Chargers in Round 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft, Verrett was projected to be one of the elite corners coming out that year. However, injury after injury would ultimately place his NFL career on hold, with Verrett rehabbing several significant injuries across the years. His long list of injuries includes labrum and rotator cuff tears, a partial ACL tear and, his most recent, an Achilles tear.

In a recent Sirius XM NFL Radio interview, Verrett opened up about his troubles overcoming consistent injuries and the consideration he gave to retiring after suffering his Achilles tear:

“When it happened, I definitely had thoughts in my mind about retiring for sure,” Verrett said. “Just because I worked so hard to come back from that devastating knee injury I experienced. I got back to full strength, and was out there in OTA’s. Then a freak situation happened and it was hard to deal with. I was in a dark place for a few months. Just from rehabbing and sitting on the couch for a few months. I definitely did contemplate on giving up on it.”

Injuries are, more often than not, the cause of retirement for not only professional athletes, but amateurs as well. There is only so much the body can take with the physical rigors placed on it in the NFL. Having to bring yourself back time and time again, like Verrett has, is enough to make the toughest of persons question their own fortitude.

With the 49ers reaching out and providing Verrett the opportunity to continue to play the game, which has taken so much from him over recent years, his mindset to continue to push, recover and overcome adversity will be a welcome addition to the locker room.

The Niners are known for having a tight locker room. With Verrett now on board, they gain another valuable player who young teammates will look towards in order to gain priceless advice in overcoming adversity and dealing with injuries.

Verrett places the 49ers training staff in high regard, along with their ability to assist players during their rehab process. This being one of the main drawcards that ultimately led to him signing with the team.

“Probably have to say the training staff, just from on my visit,” Verrett continued. “They’ve dealt with a ton of injuries. Just the confidence that they had with the players they dealt with last year, and the confidence they had in their training staff, and just the program itself and getting everyone back healthy. That drew a lot of attention from me.”

If like what is hoped for and Verrett impresses during training camp and preseason games, he will likely be lining up across the field from fellow cornerback Richard Sherman. However, to accomplish this, firstly he will have to remain healthy and, secondly, will need to beat out competition from corner Ahkello Witherspoon, who will be looking to redeem himself this season.

Verrett has the potential to be great and has previously shown off his talent, receiving a 90.9 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus in 2015. His main obstacle to overcome in achieving this feat yet again will be the condition of his Achilles.

With Sherman joining the 49ers last season after returning from an Achilles injury sustained in 2017, his grading and playability from 2018 should provide a good metric to compare Verrett to.

“My Achilles is doing good. I like where they have me right now,” Verrett said. “I’m progressing. I’ll for sure be ready for the season. I’ll probably say my turning point was around six to seven months. I could start to feel the strength return to my calf. It’s just a day-to-day thing that’s ongoing. I like the plan that they got for me.”

With Verrett’s season hinging on his continued battle with injury, will the 49ers see a return of the elite corner he can be? Only time will tell, however, should he produce the goods, Verrett should be an exciting player to watch during the upcoming year.