SF 49ers: 4 best storylines over first six weeks of 2020

SF 49ers Good Storyline No. 1: Jason Verrett’s comeback

Perhaps no other storyline in the entire NFL is better than cornerback Jason Verrett‘s comeback.

Drafted by the then-San Diego Chargers 25th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, Verrett’s career has been marred by injury after injury. In fact, the closest he has come to a complete full season injury-free was in his second year when he played in 14 games en route to his lone Pro Bowl selection. That season, Verrett had 47 combined tackles and three interceptions for the Chargers.

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Unfortunately, he has not been healthy enough to play in more than four games in any season since. In 2016, Verrett played just four games before an ACL tear ended his season. 2017 saw him miss all but one game with an injured knee. And in 2018, he missed the entire season with an Achilles tear.

That’s what makes this season so unique for Verrett. Heading into Sunday’s game at the New England Patriots, he has been targeted  11 times, surrendering just four catches for 24 yards, no touchdowns and an opposing passer rating of 7.0. He now has an interception and three pass breakups to boot and played stellar in place of the injured No. 1 corner, Richard Sherman.

The longest completion against Verrett this season went for 9 yards.

In Sunday’s game against the Rams, Verrett played a near-flawless game where he did not yield a reception on two targets and got his first interception of the season. The game earned him a  94.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, the highest grade for a Niners cornerback this season.

If he can stay healthy, and with either a healthy Sherman or Emmanuel Moseley manning the opposite cornerback spot, the SF 49ers secondary will be one to deal with going forward.

In a season racked by injury after injury to some of the team’s premier players, Verrett’s high-level play has been the best storyline for San Francisco so far.