Will the 49ers Activate Jason Verrett off Injured Reserve by the Deadline?

The 49ers have to activate Jason Verrett off of Injured Reserve or else his season will come to an end before it gets started.

The 49ers have a season defining, and perhaps career altering, decision to make on cornerback Jason Verrett. 

Wednesday is the deadline for the 49ers to activate Verrett off of Injured Reserve after they opened up the 21-day practice window for him. If they do not activate him, then Verrett will be done for the year before he can get started. Cornerback has weakened for the 49ers ever since Emmanuel Moseley tore an ACL. Getting a player such as Verrett back would be huge for them to play opposite Charvarius Ward.

However, Verrett is in the air with his health. He has already dealt with knee soreness after one of his full practices, which isn't a good sign early on. If the 49ers could hold him for another week, then they definitely would. But Verrett apparently sounds like he is trending in the right direction.

“He looked better last week," Kyle Shanahan said. "Got more reps last week and took a step in the right direction.”

Will the 49ers activate Verrett off Injured Reserve by the deadline?

I think they should to at least give him a chance, but I believe the 49ers will keep him on Injured Reserve. I get the sense from when Shanahan speaks on Verrett that they are not comfortable with where he is at and would rather not put him in harm's way. It is similar to 2019 when Verrett wasn't fully fit and they rolled him out against the Steelers. He got burnt on a touchdown play and ended up sustaining an injury.

Still, the 49ers have to let him try. Just because they activate him doesn't mean they have to start him. He really shouldn't start until Week 10 against the Chargers coming out of the Bye. Should he start against the Rams, Sean McVay is going to have the Rams offense target him profusely. 

If Verrett doesn't get activated, then you have to wonder if he's not only done with the 49ers, but done with his career.