SF 49ers Jason Verrett: ‘I feel like I got my juice back’

SF 49ers cornerback Jason Verrett’s comeback from serious injuries has been a storyline in 2020, and he joined The Jim Rome Show to talk about it.

SF 49ers cornerback Jason Verrett could have been one of those “what could have been stories.”

In some ways, the first-round pick of the San Diego Chargers falls into that category. After an impressive Pro Bowl campaign in 2015, Verrett’s unfortunate injury history began to unfold and then compounded upon itself. He saw only four games in 2016, one in 2017 and then missed all of 2018 with an Achilles tear that sidelined him that season.

After signing a one-year deal with the Niners in 2019, Verrett saw just two snaps before landing back on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

2020, however, has been a vastly different story.

To date, Verrett has been one of San Francisco’s most consistent and effective players on a defense ranked fifth against the pass through the first four weeks of the season. He recorded his first interception since 2016 in the SF 49ers’ upset win over the Los Angeles Rams, which helped him earn Pro Football Focus‘ Defensive Player of the Week honors and contributing to his impressive 87.1 overall grade on the season.

To date, Verrett has 11 tackles, three passes broken up and the pick over four starts.

Jason Verrett talks his rehab, SF 49ers defense on The Jim Rome Show

At 29 years old, it probably would have been easy to call it a career after so many injuries have taken their toll on his body.

During the offseason, however, Verrett worked out with his former Chargers teammate, wide receiver Keenan Allen, and the two managed to get the cornerback into game-day shape.

“During this past offseason, me and Keenan and [Chargers safety Derwin James], we all grinded,” Verrett told The Jim Rome Show this week. “I think the time I spent with Keenan doing a bunch of one-on-ones and seven-on-sevens with him, I felt like I got my juice back.”

The offseason work paid off. And while Verrett was briefly hindered by a hamstring injury late in training camp, which cut into two games to start the year, his offseason efforts caught the attention of another notable SF 49ers cornerback, Richard Sherman.

Sherman is now out with a calf injury, though, meaning Verrett has assumed the role of cornerback No. 1 for San Francisco’s defense.

Verrett, though, can’t wait until this entire unit gets healthy once again.

“When everybody’s healthy, I think it can be lights out,” Verrett added. “Everybody here can cover and everybody wants to win. Right now, we’re dealing with a lot of injuries. But I just think the mentality everyone has is guys are stepping up. The next-man-up mentality.”

Verrett and the Niners hope to continue plowing their way through their injury woes in Week 7 on the road against the New England Patriots.