The San Francisco 49ers feared their starting cornerback, Jason Verrett, suffered a torn ACL during Sunday's 41-33 victory over the Detroit Lions.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan jumped on a conference call this afternoon with the media and revealed that an MRI later confirmed their fears. Verrett indeed suffered the season-ending injury and will land on injured reserve for the sixth time in eight seasons.
"It's crushing," Shanahan said yesterday after the game. "... You know the bad luck he's had, and putting together these last two years, staying healthy, how good of a camp he had. We've got a lot of love for J.V. and respect him as much as anyone I've ever been around, so I really hurt for him."
Shanahan spoke with Verrett a lot last night, and the official diagnosis of the injury came today.
"He was very upset, and he's in fact how you guys can imagine," Shanahan said during the conference call. "Jason puts his heart into this. He's been through this a ton. When he's played, he's had a great career. But everyone knows how much more is out there with how good of a player he is, and that's tough for him. But he's also a man and as tough of a guy as I've been around. He'll persevere. It takes time, but it will pass. But you've got to grieve it a little bit, and I know he's doing that right now. We all are for him."
Verrett will remain with the team in West Virginia and the 49ers hope to get his wife to join her husband there.
Shanahan also said that running back Raheem Mostert sustained some chipped knee cartilage against the Lions and will miss eight weeks. He will undergo surgery (knee scope) and land on injured reserve. Elijah Mitchell replaced Mostert during Sunday's game.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw is day-to-day with a groin injury.
"Marcell Harris had an oblique strain," Shanahan added. "We'll re-evaluate it, but hopefully, he should be good by Wednesday. Dee Ford had a minor ankle sprain. I believe he should be fine also. That was it from the game."
Shanahan hopes cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (knee) can play on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
"We should get E-man back soon," the coach said. "I can't guarantee this week, but I'm holding out hope for it."
The 49ers signed Verrett in 2019, and the cornerback spent most of that first season with the team on injured reserve due to an ankle injury. However, Verrett was relatively healthy in 2020. He proved himself to be one of the Niners' top defenders while recording 60 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two interceptions, and seven passes defensed through 13 starts.
Verrett re-signed with the 49ers in March, agreeing to a one-year deal to return to the team.
"Last year was definitely a good year for me to get back, acclimated in the game, being away from it for so long," Verrett said in June. "I had fun flying around with those guys. That was a big part of why I wanted to come back. It's just been good, finishing the season healthy, being able to have a healthy offseason. I feel it's just going to be a good thing for me going forward."
Verrett had hoped his injury problems were behind him. Now, he will face yet another difficult road back.
Shanahan was also asked about the status of defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, who was inactive on Sunday due to a knee injury. Does the coach expect the second-year player to practice on Wednesday?
"I'm not expecting it. I'm hoping it," Shanahan responded. "I know he's got a chance to. He had a really good last four days. He was looking good on Saturday. We were able to get him a good workout on Sunday. Each day is an improvement, so I think that we've still got to look how it is tomorrow. We'll re-evaluate it on Wednesday. But as far as these last four days, and him not playing in that game, it's been going in the right direction."
