The 49ers may see the return of cornerback Jason Verrett against the Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sunday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday told reporters Verrett, who is officially listed as questionable, has a chance to step in contribute even if he doesn’t start and play a full game.
Verrett is returning from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 1 of last season. In his second week back in practice for San Francisco he experienced some soreness in his knee and had to sit out a couple days, but he hasn’t had any issues in the two weeks of practice since he returned. He was officially added to the active roster from the PUP list Wednesday before the 49ers’ matchup with the Rams.
He’s yet to take part in a full practice with limited participations on the practice report all of Week 8.
The 49ers have to walk a thin line between getting Verrett back to help their secondary, but also ensuring he doesn’t get hurt again by rushing back into action.
Shanahan said the solution may be to play Verrett a handful of snaps to ease him back in.
“Yeah, that’s something we are considering,” Shanahan said. “If we feel good about Verrett, whether he’s out there starting or whether he is out there getting 10-to-15 plays, I think that’s something that would help our team.”
San Francisco has struggled to find a replacement for Emmanuel Moseley since he tore his ACL in Week 5. Nickel cornerback Deommodore Lenoir has kicked outside and newly-healthy free safety Jimmie Ward has played in the slot with Tashuan Gipson sticking at the FS spot.
Adding Verrett to the mix full time would give defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans some added flexibility with how he uses his defensive backs, but if Verrett is healthy it could give San Francisco another Pro Bowl caliber corner on the outside.
There’s still a chance Verrett isn’t active for Sunday’s game with the bye week coming up to give him another week of ramp up. If he feels good and the training staff gives him the ‘okay,’ we could see the veteran corner contribute in his first game back. The 49ers and their scuffling defense could certainly use him.
