49ers place CB Jason Verrett on injured reserve

The San Francisco 49ers officially placed Jason Verrett on season-ending injured reserve, per the NFL transaction wire. The cornerback suffered a torn Achilles during Wednesday’s practice.

“When he got his Achilles [injury], he was covering a tight end on a simple in-break,” general manager John Lynch explained Friday morning, “put his foot in the ground to come out of a break, and bam. It just looked like he slipped, and there went his Achilles.”

Verrett was attempting to return from the ACL injury he suffered during Week 1 last season. While San Francisco activated him from the injured reserve list on October 26, he had not yet appeared in a game since that previous injury in 2021.

The 49ers were so devastated by Wednesday’s development that the coaches considered canceling the remainder of the practice. Knowing how many times Verrett has had to fight back from devastating injuries throughout his career was disheartening. They pushed on, though, finishing the practice.

“I’ve never heard a football field so silent,” Lynch shared, “and I think it was just instantly [on] everyone’s mind, number one, knew that it wasn’t just a twisted ankle or something because he was down and he wasn’t getting up. There was a quietness and eerie quiet to a football field that I’ve never heard.”

Verrett is scheduled to become a free agent after the season. However, his teammates want him to know they are with him during this difficult time.

“We’re going to stay with him as he kind of gets through this,” Lynch said. “He’s a big part of this team and will be going forward.”