Why Jason Verrett Won't Stay With the 49ers

Jason Verrett has never had the opportunity to maximize his value in his career.

Jason Verrett has never had the opportunity to maximize his value in his career.

At the pinnacle of his career, which was the first few years in the league, he was one of the NFL's top cornerbacks. The guy was putting the clamps on Antonio Brown. Had he continued on that trend, Verrett would have seen Jalen Ramsey money.

Unfortunately, Verrett suffered injury after injury. It was like he was cursed or something because he could not catch a break to save his life. It wasn't until 2020 that Verrett saw his best season since 2015.  Surprisingly enough, injuries did not derail him for once. He finished healthy and strong. Now he finally has a chance to reward himself with a sweet contract.

That is a chance that I believe he won't pass up, which is why he won't stay with the 49ers.

I sincerely doubt the 49ers will go full-court press on offering Verrett some nice cash.  Do they want him back? Of course. Thanks to Verrett, the 49ers were able to change their defensive identity last season. However, this is an opportunity of a lifetime for Verrett. He has to be operating under that impression given his luck with injuries.

Cornerback is a premium position, and even though he still has injury concerns, I'd bet a team with ample salary cap space gives him a deal that the 49ers cannot match. 

Verrett is sure to be sought after by a defense that runs man-to-man coverage heavily. That is his strongest trait as he ranked seventh out of 106 qualifying cornerbacks in yards per snap allowed in man coverage (h/t Ted Nguyen of The Athletic).

The 49ers just signed Emmanuel Moseley to a two-year deal, so that is Step 1 of their process in case Verrett does not return. There is still a chance for Verrett to return as I wrote on Thursday. 

But in the end I think the pursuit from the 49ers won't be as heavy and that Verrett will want to be rewarded handsomely for his resurgent season.