49ers’ Secondary Gets a Major Upgrade at a Key Position

Getty Jason Verrett, now of the San Francisco 49ers.

After more than a year away from the football field, the San Francisco 49ers have officially elevated Jason Verrett to their 53-man roster. With a three-week window to return to practice that ended this week, Verrett will now be eligible to play for the Niners in Week 8, when they take the show on the road to Los Angeles for another takeover of SoFi Arena.

“Jason’s done good,” DeMeco Ryans said after Thursday’s practice, as per San Francisco 49ers WebZone. “Opened his window. Happy to just have him back out there, seeing him working. It’s great. Always great to have Jason back out there.”

Kyle Shanahan also discussed Verrett’s progress in an appearance on KNBR.

“He had a much better week this week,” Shanahan said on the Tolbert & Copes show. “By far, his best one out of the three weeks [since his practice window opened]. We haven’t decided yet [whether he will play], so I don’t have a status report on him. But I can tell you it’s been better than the last two weeks.”

Though there’s no guarantee Verrett will be in the starting lineup against the Rams, as he was listed as a limited participant in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, there’s a chance the 49ers could finally have their long-time CB back on the field after more than a year away.

Charvarius Ward Used To Study Verrett Coming Out Of College

If Verrett is able to return in Week 8, it’ll give the 49ers two cornerbacks with Pro Bowl-caliber cover men. Both can play man or zone, have experience pressing at the line of scrimmage, and, most importantly of all, can mirror opposing receivers with nimble footwork.

Verrett’s ability to lock in with his man as a defensive stopper was actually incredibly informative to Ward when he was coming out of Middle Tennessee State, lauding the former TCU standout for his technique, as detailed by Matt Barrows of The Athletic.

“I remember how quick his feet were and how good he transitioned in and out of his breaks,” Ward said Wednesday. “He wasn’t scared to get in somebody’s face. That’s why I studied him. I was trying to get nimble feet like he had.”

Emmanuel Mosley Successfully Undergoes Surgery

Though it’s been more than two weeks since Emmanuel Mosley suffered a torn ACL versus the Carolina Panthers, the fifth-year man out of Tennessee has officially undergone surgery, according to 49ers WebZone.

“I was just fired up for him to have a complete year, and he did a lot of great things for us,” defensive coordinator Ryans said after the Falcons game. “So that’s tough to replace. It’s hard to replace a guy [like that]. We try to do our best with the guys that we have but losing Moseley definitely hurts. He’s just such a great teammate, great person, great player for us, and we’re truly going to miss him.”

While the Niners aren’t expecting to get Mosley back in 2022, there’s still a chance the 26-year-old Greensboro native could return to the Bay Area in 2023, as he will be a free agent and could return to the team on a new deal, maybe one worth more than his two-year, $9.38 million deal he signed in 2021.