San Francisco 49ers: 4 possible first-time All-Pros in 2021
By Peter Panacy
49ers All-Pro Candidate No. 3: CB Jason Verrett
Some could argue veteran cornerback Jason Verrett should have received a Pro Bowl nomination in 2020. And if it weren’t for Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith’s miraculous comeback from a life-threatening leg injury suffered in 2018, Verrett would have been a favorite for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, too.
Verrett’s journey back to the top ranks of NFL secondaries after suffering serious injuries between 2016 and 2019 was pretty epic, and he looked every part the 2015 Pro Bowl-caliber player in his first full season starting for San Francisco.
Yet Verrett surprisingly didn’t get a Pro Bowl accolade last season, although he did manage to land on Pro Football Focus’ midseason All-Pro team:
"Jason Verrett is one of the comeback stories of the season. He had played just four snaps on defense since the beginning of the 2018 season, and 327 since the start of 2016, but he has surpassed that total this year alone while establishing himself as one of the best cover guys in the league."
Verrett returned to the 49ers on a cheap one-year deal, meaning he should be highly motivated to compete for a hefty contract in 2022.
Assuming he can stay healthy, and the Niners defense begins to generate more turnovers under first-year defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, there are plenty of reasons to assume Verrett’s resurgence in the latter stages of his career continues.
Perhaps well enough to be considered an All-Pro.