Three of cornerback Jason Verrett's four previous seasons with the 49ers ended with him going on injured reserve.
The 49ers announced that he is now officially back with the club as a member of the training squad.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers' expectations for Verrett on the team are open. First, Shanahan said, Verrett has to prove himself on the practice field while working against the team's starting offense.
“When you're on the practice squad, you're just a few games away from maybe being a starter or just being out there on game days,” Shanahan said.
“He can try to show us he’s ready for the moment and hopefully give us some depth once we get a chance to see him.”
Verrett, 32, spent a month on the Houston Texans' practice squad this season. After his release, Verrett attended a practice with the 49ers on November 16 in Santa Clara.
The 49ers offered him a spot on the practice squad. After considering his future, Verrett agreed to return to the 49ers late last week, a source told NBC Sports Bay Area.
Verrett's return to the 49ers was unrelated to cornerback Charvarius Ward's groin injury that sidelined him after just four games in the team's 28-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Verrett attended the game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara and greeted some of his teammates in the locker room afterward.
He could provide the 49ers with a valuable insurance policy behind the team's top three cornerbacks: Ward, Deommodore Lenoir and Ambry Thomas.
Verrett showed what he can do for the 49ers in 2020 when he started 13 games and played at a consistently high level. He recorded two interceptions.
The 49ers re-signed Verrett to a one-year contract and he opened the 2021 season as the starter. However, he tore a season-ending cruciate ligament in the opening game against the Detroit Lions.
Last year he signed another one-year contract. Verrett was just working his way back onto the field when his 2022 season ended with a torn Achilles tendon in practice.
Since entering the NFL in 2014 as a first-round pick of the Chargers, Verrett has played in just 40 games with 36 starts. In his second year in the league, he played in 14 games and was selected to the Pro Bowl.
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