49ers reactivate Jason Verrett but he likely won’t play immediately

The 49ers activated Jason Verrett from the PUP list earlier this week, but that doesn’t automatically point to him playing this weekend.

The San Francisco 49ers took a low-risk gamble by re-signing oft-injured cornerback Jason Verrett on a one-year deal after he missed all but the first week of the 2021 season after suffering a torn ACL.

Verrett didn’t partake in training camp practices or the Niners’ 2022 preseason, as he was shelved on the reserve/physically unable-to-perform list to open up the year. But, with San Francisco opening up his practice window earlier this month, it sent in motion the timetable for him to return to action.

And, in the wake of the 49ers losing starting cornerback Emmanuel Moseley to a season-ending ACL tear back in Week 5, Verrett’s return could seriously boost a depleted Niners secondary.

On Wednesday, San Francisco activated the 31-year-old Verrett from the PUP list, releasing running back Tevin Coleman to free up the roster spot.

Coleman was subsequently signed to the practice squad.

But, just because Verrett is activated, it’s not necessarily a given he’ll be on the field and in action when the 49ers visit the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8.

49ers can hope Jason Verrett will play vs. Rams, but it doesn’t seem likely

It’s important to note the practice window for a player coming off a reserve/injured list is finite. After 21 days, if that player is unable to be added to the active roster, he has to revert back to an injured-reserve list and will be done for the season.

Verrett might be close to returning but not quite there yet, both in terms of his ACL recovery and the necessary ramp-up period to get him into game shape, something Niners Nation’s Kyle Posey pointed out:

"Remember, Verrett hasn’t played since September 9, 2021. So while it’d be ideal to have him as a starter opposite Mooney Ward, rust needs to be shaken off, and the 49ers need to know if Verrett can hold up through a week’s worth of practice before relying on it him as a starter."

“I’m not ruling out this week,” head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters of Verrett’s status for Sunday’s game. “I’m really just waiting to see how he practices and then go from there.”

San Francisco will be playing on SoFI Stadium’s artificial turf, not unlike the surface upon which Verrett tore his ACL against the Detroit Lions way back in Week 1 of the 2021 season. And with the 49ers enjoying a bye in Week 9, it wouldn’t be shocking whatsoever if they took an extra week to ensure Verrett is back up to full strength, essentially allowing him two weeks to prepare despite being on the active roster.

If that’s the case, the Niners likely start one of their other reserve cornerbacks opposite Charvarius Ward, perhaps someone like Deommodore Lenoir or Dontae Johnson.