Getty Former San Francisco 49ers corner Jason Verrett
The San Francisco 49ers are seeing their former defensive coordinator and starting cornerback reunite in the AFC South with the Houston Texans. Houston is apparently signing corner Jason Verrett to the roster, which means that Texans HC DeMeco Ryans is only growing his ex-49ers group on the roster.
The signing was first reported on October 11 by NFL reporter Ari Meirov, who posted the news on X (formerly known as Twitter.)
“The #Texans signed former #49ers CB Jason Verrett to the practice squad. He reunites with DeMeco Ryans,” Meirov wrote.
Like his new coach in Houston, Verrett has had an extensive playing career. However, Verrett did not play a snap last year after spending three seasons with San Francisco from 2019 to 2021. At 32 years old and with several serious injuries, Verrett is a talented player but also comes with warning signs.
However, Ryans and 49ers fans were big supporters of Verrett, whose skill and work ethic made him a beloved role player on a roster that had, and still has, several stars. Now, he gets his latest chance in the NFL by heading to the Lone Star State.
Jason Verrett Takes Next Step With Texans
A product out of TCU, Verrett entered the NFL in 2014 as a highly-touted prospect. The San Diego Chargers drafted him with the 25th overall pick in that year’s draft with the intention of making him an immediate starter.
Unfortunately, the first of Verrett’s injury issues appeared in his rookie campaign. He injured his labrum in three different places, forcing him to the injured reserve and limiting him to six total appearances.
But Verrett bounced back in a huge way, as Pro Football Reference shows. Verrett played in 14 games, swatting 12 passes and making three interceptions for his first and only Pro Bowl selection.
Verrett was clearly an exceptional player when healthy. But he would go onto play six games over the next four seasons, including his first year with the 49ers. Knee and ankle injuries were a constant issue, even with San Francisco.
The former Horned Frog did recover for one solid season in the Bay Area in 2020. Even after all his injuries, Verrett started 13 games and nabbed two interceptions along with seven passes defended.
The 49ers signed him in each of the next two offseasons, but a torn ACL ended his 2021 season in Week 1 and multiple injuries in 2022 meant that he never made an appearance.
Former 49ers DE Kerry Hyder Also Signs With Houston
The day before Verrett signed with the Texans, Houston picked up former San Francisco defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr. after his recent release from the 49ers. ESPN insider Adam Schefter was the first to report the signing on October 10.
“Texans signed former 49ers’ DE Kerry Hyder Jr., who was released last week to make room for Randy Gregory, to their practice squad,” Schefter wrote on X.
It’s a nice pickup for Houston, as Hyder knows Ryans well and brings a veteran presence to a young team. Hyder had one sack in four appearances with the 49ers this season and has 10.5 sacks in 36 total games for the franchise.