Jason Verrett - Pro Football Rumors

NFC West Notes: Ramsey, 49ers, Seahawks

September 12th, 2020 at 4:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers have been accustomed to dealing with running back unavailability during Kyle Shanahan‘s tenure, but Jerick McKinnon is on track to make his 49er debut at long last. However, Tevin Coleman‘s status is now uncertain. The second-year 49ers back did not practice Friday because of the poor air quality in San Francisco, which has been affected by the recent wildfires raging in many west coast areas. Coleman, who has a sickle cell trait, also did not finish a practice earlier in training camp due to poor air quality, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Although the 49ers traded Matt Breida, they still have McKinnon, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson on their active roster.

Here is the latest from the NFC West, moving first to the Rams’ resetting of the cornerback market.

The Rams were slightly over the 2020 salary cap earlier this week, but their Jalen Ramsey extension solved that problem. They created $7.5MM through the Ramsey deal, Joel Corry of CBS Sports tweets. Ramsey’s cornerback-record five-year, $105MM contract calls for only a $1.2MM base salary in 2020 — down from $13.7MM. The ensuing years, however, include base salaries of $17.5MM (2021), $15MM (’22), $17MM (’23), $14.5MM (’24) and $15.5MM (’25), Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. This contract’s rolling guarantee structure will convert injury guarantees to full guarantees the year before, essentially tying Ramsey to Los Angeles’ payroll through at least 2024, Garafolo adds (via Twitter).
Rams free agent signing A’Shawn Robinson qualified for the high-risk $350K stipend as an opt-out player, but his agent and the team reached a compromise that allowed the defensive lineman to avoid the opt-out list. The Rams instead placed Robinson on the non-football injury list and are paying him $500K this year, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Robinson was on track to opt out. Even though he did not officially do so, his two-year contract will toll to 2021 if he does not play this season. Robinson will keep his $6MM signing bonus, but his $3MM 2020 base salary will toll to 2021, Breer adds. Robinson could, however, come off the NFI list and play by Week 10.
Seahawks special teams coordinator Brian Schneider took a leave of absence this week, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Larry Izzo will take over in that role during his absence. Schneider has been with the Seahawks throughout Pete Carroll‘s tenure, following Carroll from USC to Seattle in 2010. Izzo is in his third season with the team.
Prior to roster cutdown day, the 49ers considered trading Ahkello Witherspoon, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Witherspoon was aware of the team’s effort, which did not end up producing a deal. The 49ers are set to be without Jason Verrett, who missed all of last season and has dealt with injuries throughout his career, Sunday due to a hamstring injury. Witherspoon is in line to serve as a key depth player to start the season. Emmanuel Moseley replaced him in the starting lineup during the playoffs. A fourth-year player, Witherspoon is set for unrestricted free agency in 2021.
The 49ers did not restructure Dee Ford‘s deal to set up a big move, John Lynch said (via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, on Twitter). The move, however, did create $9.5MM in cap space. That gave the team some breathing room; it holds $10.9MM in cap space as of Saturday. The move does, however, make Ford a more difficult cut in 2021. It would now cost the 49ers $14MM-plus in dead money to release the defensive end next year.

49ers Re-Sign Jason Verrett, Dontae Johnson

April 13th, 2020 at 1:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers have re-signed cornerbacks Jason Verrett and Dontae Johnson to one-year deals, the club announced today.

Verrett, 28, has dealt with myriad injury issues throughout his career, and those health questions popped up again in 2019. Signed to a one-year, $1.5MM pact with San Francisco, Verrett appeared in just one game before being placed on injured reserve with an ankle ailment. Although there was some thought that he’d be able to return later in the season, Verrett remained on IR through the 49ers’ postseason run.

A first-round pick by the Chargers in the 2014 draft, Verrett has been outstanding when healthy. In 2015, for example, Verrett made 14 starts for San Diego and earned a Pro Bowl nod. However, that 2015 campaign represents the only season in which the TCU product has appeared in more six games. He’s only played in six total games since the start of the 2016 season.

Johnson, meanwhile, was Verrett’s direct replacement when the latter went on IR in 2019. San Francisco’s relationship with Johnson goes back far further than last season, however — Johnson was a fourth-round pick of the 49ers in 2014 and will now start his fourth stint with the club. He’s also spent time with the Seahawks, Bills, Cardinals, Chiefs, and Chargers. Johnson, 28, started all 16 games for San Francisco in 2017, but has largely been a special-teamer.

NFC West Notes: Kendricks, Williams, 49ers

November 18th, 2019 at 7:01pm CST by Rory Parks

Mychal Kendricks‘ sentencing date keeps getting postponed, and the Seahawks keep reaping the rewards. Per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com, Kendricks is now due to be sentenced for insider trading — which he pleaded guilty to in September 2018 — in February 2020 (Twitter link). The date has been pushed back five times now, and instead of losing Kendricks on November 21 (the most recent date), Seattle will have their starting weakside ‘backer for its playoff run.

Now for more from the NFC West:

The Cardinals signed tight end Maxx Williams to a modest one-year, $805K pact this offseason, but they have been impressed enough with his performance — especially as a pass blocker — to sign him to an extension several days ago. And he will get a sizable raise, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says the two-year pact, which keeps Williams in the desert through 2021, is worth $7MM (Twitter link).
49ers CB Jason Verrett and DL Kentavius Street are both getting healthier and are candidates to come off of IR at some point this season, as Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (citing head coach Kyle Shanahan) tweets. Both players have had difficult injury luck in their careers, so this is encouraging news, and San Francisco would surely love to have Verrett and Street as depth for the stretch run.
The news is not as good for 49ers rookie WR Jalen Hurd, as Shanahan says it’s unlikely Hurd will be ready to come off of IR this year (Twitter link via Maiocco).
The 49ers are also planning on being without DE Dee Ford for a couple of weeks, per Maiocco (via Twitter). Injuries have limited Ford during his first year in San Francisco, though he has managed to post 6.5 sacks. Ford is currently dealing with a hamstring injury.

Bay Area Notes: Witherspoon, Lee, Verrett, Joyner

November 11th, 2019 at 6:38pm CST by Marc Delucchi

49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was expected to be active for Monday Night’s contest against the Seahawks for the first time since Week 3. However, Witherspoon remained on the team’s inactive list. According to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, Witherspoon feels 100%, but he did not get to participate in a full practice this week. Thus, the team plans to give him a full week of practice before rejoining the starting lineup next week against the Cardinals.

Rookie undrafted free agent Emmanuel Mosley has been fantastic in place of Witherspoon and surely made the decision to play it safe with Witherspoon easier. At 8-0, San Francisco has a fantastic opportunity to put themselves in the driver’s seat for the number one seed in the NFC with a win tonight.

Here’s more from around the Bay Area:

Raiders linebacker Marquel Lee has rejoined the team’s practices, according to Howard Balzer. Lee was placed on injured reserve in September with an ankle injury, however, the team designated him for a possible return. Balzer’s report signals the beginning of a 21-day practice period for Lee to practice with the team before Oakland must decide to reactivate him or leave him on IR for the rest of the season.
Cornerback Jason Verrett was among the 49ers on the field for warm-ups on Monday Night before their matchup with Seattle, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. While normally a player warming up before a game wouldn’t be newsworthy, Verrett is currently on the injured reserve with a designation to potentially return later in the season. Per Barrows, he has not been on the field since his injury two months ago. Since Verrett is not eligible to return until December 1, it is a very good sign for the team to see him making progress.
Jon Gruden told reporters that Raiders slot cornerback Lamarcus Joyner is questionable with a hamstring injury, according to Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area. Gruden went on to say that Nevin Lawson will get the first opportunity to replace Joyner. Rookie fourth round pick Isaiah Johnson, recently activated from the injured reserve, will get an opportunity to receive snaps at the outside cornerback position and possibly move veteran Daryl Worley inside to the slot as well, per Bair.

49ers Place Jason Verrett On IR

October 3rd, 2019 at 1:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another Jason Verrett IR trip will commence. The 49ers placed the veteran cornerback on IR and will reunite with corner Dontae Johnson.

Verrett played in one game with the 49ers. This will be the third straight season he will have landed on IR after playing in one or fewer games. The former first-round pick has played in two games since the start of the 2017 season. The ex-Charger defender tore an Achilles’ tendon last year, missing the entire 2018 season, and has dealt with ankle and knee trouble as a 49er. He ran into the knee issue during his 49ers debut — Week 3 against the Steelers.

He signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal, but his second-chance opportunity has not gone well. The 28-year-old Fairfield, Calif., native has displayed promise in his career but has played more than six games in a season once since going off the board at No. 25 in 2014. In that season, 2015, Verrett made the Pro Bowl.

While the TCU alum profiles as an IR-return candidate, with Matt Barrows of The Athletic noting the 49ers are “holding out hope” he can come back in 2019 (subscription required), this is yet another bad sign his comeback will take off. He played only four defensive snaps in his 49ers debut.

This will be Johnson’s third stint as a 49er and fourth contract of 2019. The former San Francisco cog who was a full-time 49ers starter as recently as 2017 has become an NFL nomad. In 2019 alone, he’s spent time with the Chiefs, 49ers and Chargers, playing in two Los Angeles games. The Bolts cut him to make room for Melvin Gordon on their active roster.

NFC Notes: Ramsey, 49ers, Zimmer, White

September 19th, 2019 at 3:56pm CST by cwcrouse

With another busy day of football news winding down, let’s take a look around the NFC:

The 49ers are “not in” on Jalen Ramsey, a source tells Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. San Fran isn’t interested in trading for the cornerback because of the level of compensation that the Jaguars are requesting (two first-rounders) and the sizable extension Ramsey will expect to sign.
Jason Verrett, who has dealt with health issues throughout his career, has yet to make his debut for the 49ers and the cornerback hasn’t ruled out requesting a trade. Maiocco (as he relays in a separate piece) asked Verrett if he would ask for one if he continues to be inactive for games and the CB responded with “We’ll see what happens.”
In an interview on NFL Network, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said he wants to coach until he’s 70-years-old. Zimmer turned 63 in June.
Buccaneers LB Devin White continues to sit out of practice, as Josh Alper of PFT relays. White injured his knee during the team’s TNF game against the Panthers last week and coach Bruce Arians insinuated that White would not be out long. Now, it’s looking like his status for Tampa Bay’s Week 3 contest is in doubt.

49ers Notes: McKinnon, Ward, Verrett, Hurd

September 7th, 2019 at 6:12pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Jerick McKinnon‘s 49ers tenure may very well end without him ever taking a snap for San Francisco. The team placed the running back on injured reserve last week, ending his 2019 season before it could start. McKinnon tore an ACL just before the start of last season, and has had complications while recovering. McKinnon had another knee surgery earlier this week, but it turns out it was unrelated to his ACL, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. His ACL is apparently fine, which McKinnon said was “reassuring.”

Instead it was a separate issue in the same knee, although it’s not clear exactly what that issue is. He’ll miss his second straight season, but McKinnon still really wants to play for the 49ers. “I love this team,” he said. “That’s why I came here. I love the coaching staff, the whole organization, the Yorks, John (Lynch), Kyle (Shanahan), all the coaches. Coach (Bobby) Turner and everyone has been supportive — behind me, 100 percent, and there’s nothing more you can ask for.” McKinnon wants to be back, but it seems likely the team will want to move on. McKinnon, who signed a four-year $30MM deal last offseason, is scheduled to make $6.5MM in 2020. The 49ers still have a solid backfield with Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman and others, so he’d likely have to take a significant pay-cut at the very least to be brought back.

Here’s more from San Francisco:

Their defense is going to be banged up in Week 1. Defensive end Dee Ford has been dealing with a nagging injury but is going to play, while fellow pass-rusher Nick Bosa and cornerback Jason Verrett are both questionable. Now they’ll be without starting safety Jimmie Ward, who had surgery after breaking a finger in Wednesday’s practice, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Ward has been ruled out for the team’s opener against Tampa Bay, although Barrows notes that he might be able to play with a cast on in Week 2. Second-year player Tarvarius Moore will start in his place.
Speaking of Verrett, the oft-injured corner received a nice chunk of change for making the team’s initial 53-man roster. Verrett got a $500K bonus for being on the active roster Week 1, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Verrett, a first-round pick of the Chargers’ back in 2014, signed a one-year deal with San Francisco earlier this offseason. Verrett has always been extremely talented and made the Pro Bowl back in 2015, but he’s appeared in just five games over the past three seasons. Verrett has already dealt with a torn ACL and Achilles in his young career, and he missed the entire preseason with an ankle injury.
Ward isn’t the only player they’ll be without in Week 1. Rookie receiver Jalen Hurd isn’t going to play against the Bucs and he could miss multiple games, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The 49ers drafted Hurt 67th overall back in April, and he has the potential to turn into an intriguing weapon. Hurd rushed for nearly 3,000 yards in his college career as a running back and then transitioned to receiver, racking up 946 yards through the air in his senior season at Baylor. It should be interesting too see how Kyle Shanahan uses him, but unfortunately it looks like we might have to wait a few weeks for his debut as he deals with a back injury.

NFC West Rumors: Polite, 49ers, Cardinals

September 4th, 2019 at 6:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jachai Polite became the only 2019 third-round pick to be booted from a roster after cutdown weekend, but the Jets Day 2 selection found his way to the Seahawks‘ practice squad. Pete Carroll said the Seahawks placed a late-first- or early-second-round grade on the Florida product, per ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson. Polite will have a chance to develop in Seattle, doing so behind Jadeveon Clowney, Ziggy Ansah and first-round pick L.J. Collier — none of whom were part of the 2018 Seahawks.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

While some of the 49ers‘ injury troubles are here to stay, with Jerick McKinnon on season-ending IR again, the team received good news on other key cogs. Nick Bosa returned to practice this week and is improving daily, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic (subscription required). Jason Verrett joined Bosa in going through a limited Wednesday practice. Dee Ford was not listed as limited. Despite John Lynch at one point being 50-50 on Bosa’s Week 1 availability, it appears much of the concern around these San Francisco’s newcomers was overblown. Though, Bosa’s spate of setbacks over the past year have, fairly or unfairly, attached an “injury prone” label to the Ohio State product for the time being.
The Cardinals were the only team to submit a waiver claim for offensive lineman Brett Toth, Barrows adds. The U.S. Army cleared Toth on Wednesday morning to pursue a career with the Cardinals, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Prior to signing with the Eagles midway through last month, Toth had not participated in a practice in 18 months. Under the previous guidelines, Toth would have been locked into his service requirement. However, he’ll be able to put all of that on hold as he pursues his NFL dream.
With the Cardinals cutting 2017 fifth-rounder T.J. Logan and former Rams All-Pro returner Pharoh Cooper, Christian Kirk expects to reprise his role as the Cardinals’ punt returner, Katherine Fitzgerald of the Arizona Republic notes. Kliff Kingsbury did not confirm as much, but Kirk returned 21 punts as a rookie. While at Texas A&M, Arizona’s current WR2 notched six punt-return TDs in three seasons.
Arrested on suspicion of DUI last month, Cardinals COO Ron Minegar will be suspended six weeks and fined $200K, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Steve Keim was suspended five weeks and also fined $200K last year for his “extreme” DUI. Minegar serves more as a business-side Cards exec.
Free agent tackle Marshall Newhouse visited the 49ers this week, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio notes (on Twitter). The Saints released the 30-year-old edge blocker from IR via injury settlement last weekend. Newhouse played 14 games with the Bills and Panthers last season.

West Rumors: 49ers, Metcalf, Raiders

August 23rd, 2019 at 7:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

It’s been a rough year for 49ers injuries. A few of their key players may not be ready for Week 1. It is now possible Nick Bosa and Jason Verrett will join the likes of Garrett Celek and Jerick McKinnon (in all likelihood) as being sidelined for San Francisco’s opener. During an interview with KNBR (via Pro Football Talk), John Lynch called both Bosa and Verrett 50-50 to suit up for the 49ers’ opener against the Buccaneers. Bosa is battling a high ankle sprain — his latest in a string of maladies since his junior year at Ohio State — and Verrett is also dealing with ankle trouble. The injury-prone cornerback, who tore an Achilles’ tendon in July 2018, sprained an ankle August 7.

Shifting first to some issues the Seahawks’ Week 1 contingent may have, here is the latest from the West divisions:

Two key Seahawks wide receivers may not be ready for the team’s 2019 opener. D.K. Metcalf underwent knee surgery this week and is uncertain for Week 1, while Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets David Moore will not be ready for Seattle’s 2019 debut. Moore will seek a second opinion on a shoulder injury, one Pelissero notes is not expected to require surgery. But Pete Carroll confirmed Moore (26 receptions for 445 yards and five TDs in 2018) will not suit up in Week 1. Moore and Metcalf are expected to play key roles for the post-Doug Baldwin Seahawks. They may have to supplement Tyler Lockett with lower-profile players early.
Thought to be on the wrong side of the 49ers‘ roster bubble, Jordan Matthews may be on the verge of making the team. The 49ers held the veteran receiver out of action Monday in Denver, and Kyle Shanahan confirmed he did so to get a look at his younger talents. “Jordan’s had a hell of a camp,” Shanahan said, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic (subscription required). “He’s done very good in practice; he’s been consistent in OTAs. He’s been very consistent in training camp, and we’ve seen him a lot on tape before he got here. I’ve got a lot of confidence in Jordan, and I know we can win with Jordan.” This, of course, does not mean the 27-year-old pass catcher is a roster lock. But it does paint a picture of the 49ers potentially opting for dependability here.
Hard Knocks has chronicled rookie UDFA Keelan Doss‘ attempt to make the Raiders, and after three preseason games, Vic Tafur of The Athletic has the receiver making the team over Ryan Grant. As for the former Redskins and Colts talent, the Raiders held him out of action Thursday in Winnipeg. While that could mean Grant has secured a spot on Oakland’s 53-man roster, Tafur expects a trade to occur in the coming days rather than the team keeping seven wideouts.
The most recent Hard Knocks episode showed plenty of an irritated Jon Gruden, with the ire being primarily directed toward backup quarterbacks. But Tafur expects the Raiders to keep both Mike Glennon and Nathan Peterman, pegging Gruden as viewing the former as the more reliable player and the latter with greater upside (despite his previous regular-season resume).

49ers CB Jason Verrett To Miss Preseason

August 8th, 2019 at 2:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Rookie defensive end Nick Bosa isn’t the only 49er who will miss the 2019 preseason slate. San Francisco cornerback Jason Verrett will also miss this year’s exhibition season with an ankle injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters, including Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Shanahan indicated Verrett is dealing with an injury that’s similar to Bosa’s ankle issue. Earlier today, 49ers general manager John Lynch said that while Bosa doesn’t have a high ankle sprain, his injury does have “elements” of a high ankle sprain. Like Bosa, Verrett will sit out the preseason and then be re-evaluated before the regular season gets underway.

Verrett’s injury, of course, is especially concerning given the 28-year-old’s lengthy history of health questions. He’s only played in five total games over the past three seasons, with various injuries — including a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles — ending his campaigns. Injuries have been such a detriment to Verrett’s career that he actually considered retiring before landing a one-year, $3MM deal with the 49ers this offseason.

Meanwhile, fellow 49ers cornerback K’Waun Williams will also be absent for the preseason after undergoing a knee scope, tweets Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Williams played 615 total snaps for San Francisco in 2018 while serving as the club’s primary slot corner.