San Francisco 49ers: The Jason Verrett experiment is (maybe) over after just 4 snaps

The San Francisco 49ers have officially placed cornerback Jason Verrett on the injured reserve thus ending their experiment with the oft-injured defensive back after just one game.

One game. Four snaps. That was the total length of Jason Verrett‘s run with the San Francisco 49ers which could very well come to an end before it ever even was given a chance to begin.

The 49ers officially announced that they had placed the oft-injured cornerback on the injured reserve following a “flare-up” in his knee that occurred during the team’s Week 3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While he will be eligible to return in eight weeks time — meaning that the experiment might not technically be over — there is no guarantee that he ever steps on the field in a 49ers uniform again.

Verrett was dealing with a lingering ankle ailment in the preseason but was able to recover in time for the regular season. However, he was listed as a healthy scratch for each of the team’s first two games.

But after an injury to the surging Ahkello Witherspoon, Verrett managed to see playing time in Week 3 — albeit briefly. The 2014 first-round pick was only on the field for four defensive snaps before being benched and replaced by Emmanuel Moseley.

And given his performance, it’s easy to see why.

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Verrett was called for defensive pass interference on the very first time he was targeted resulting in a 32-yard gain for the Steelers. Following that, he was burnt by rookie wideout Diontae Johnson for a 39-yard touchdown.

It would be his only four snaps of the game. And now following his recent knee injury, they may just be the only four snaps of his 49ers career.

San Francisco signed Verrett to a meager one-year, $3.6 million contract in the offseason fully aware of his prior injury history. At one point, Verrett was one of the top young cornerbacks in the NFL after a 2015 campaign that resulted in a Pro Bowl nod.

However, the TCU product has seen his career decimated with injuries having played in just five games since that breakout season prior to this year. In fact, the sheer quantity of games that he’s missed is downright awful.

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Including the games he will be forced to miss this season, Verrett will have been inactive for a whopping total of 51 out of 77 possible games that he could have played. That’s almost exactly two-thirds of all career games that he’s missed due to injury.

It’s a shame given his clear talent but it’s just the harsh reality of the sport. Only some players have it worse than others.

For the 49ers, this isn’t exactly a huge loss given the fact that they made the signing with a full and understanding knowledge of his prior injuries. It was a high-ceiling, low-risk move and even though the ceiling wasn’t reached, the risk was never really much of a factor.

While Witherspoon recovers, expect a heavy dosage of Moseley who has looked good in spurts. But once the former returns, the need for Verrett will become nearly non-existant with Richard Sherman, Witherspoon, K’Waun Williams, and Moseley holding down the cornerback room.

We may not have seen the last of Jason Verrett in a 49ers unifrom. But if we have, it’s a shame that all we got were four snaps of disappointing play.