SF 49ers: 5 most important free agents heading into 2021

No. 2: SF 49ers CB Jason Verrett

Speaking of the SF 49ers’ thin secondary, the second most important free agent heading into the 2021 offseason is also a cornerback: the resurgent Jason Verrett.

Verrett has been with the SF 49ers since 2019 when he signed a one-year, $3.6 million contract but only managed one game before succumbing to injured reserve, furthering the narrative of the cornerback as an injury-prone, first-round bust.

Yet the team saw fit to bring Verrett back last offseason, albeit on it a one-year, veteran’s minimum salary, and the corner responded by having one of the best seasons of his career.

He finished the year with just 43 receptions against for 382 yards and opposing quarterbacks managed just a 76.3 rating when targeting Verrett, all according to Pro Football Focus.

Verrett made a major statement about his return to form in the SF 49ers’ second matchup with the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16, where he matched up with Cardinals All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who had torched the Niners to the tune of 14 catches for 151 yards in the season opener.

During the second matchup, Verrett, who hadn’t played in Week 1, was instrumental in holding Hopkins to eight receptions for a mere 48 yards, essentially keeping the star wideout from impacting the game.

There is no guarantee 2020 won’t prove to be a blip in Verrett’s oft-injury plagued career, but the cornerback has shown why he was a first-round draft pick back in 2014.

The SF 49ers should make sure they solidify their depleted cornerback unit by keeping Verrett around well past the 2021 season.