No. 1: 49ers Cornerback Jason Verrett
You have to feel awful for Niners veteran cornerback Jason Verrett and him tearing his ACL way back in Week 1 after finally putting forth a relatively injury-free 2020 campaign that should have netted him a Pro Bowl accolade.
Seeing Verrett visibly emotional after suffering that injury earlier this season was tough, yet it’s unfortunately been a trend Verrett hasn’t been able to shed for the bulk of his career.
Perhaps San Francisco banked too heavily on Verrett being healthy last season, and that might be a mistake, given his track record of injuries. From 2016 through 2019, he appeared in just six regular-season games, hampered by a series of ankle injuries, an Achilles tear, and now most recently, the ACL tear this season.
Verrett mulled the idea of retiring after 2019 but was ultimately thankful the 49ers were willing to give him another chance on a one-year, prove-it deal.
Sadly, Verrett wasn’t able to prove he could stay healthy for back-to-back seasons, and it’ll be awfully tough for another team out there to consider signing him to anything but a bargain-basement contract.
Considering he’ll turn 31 years old before the start of the 2022 season, it almost seems as if retiring will be the best option for the talented yet oft-injured defensive back to avoid additional damage to his body.