On Monday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed ESPN's report that Emmanuel Moseley's season is over after the cornerback suffered a torn ACL against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Moseley started all five games this season and was having an impressive year.
On Sunday, Moseley intercepted Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield and returned it 41 yards for the first touchdown of his career, finishing the game with two tackles and two passes defensed.
Shanahan had not spoken with Moseley since an MRI confirmed the severity of the injury. The coach assumes his injured cornerback will return to the Bay Area while the 49ers stay and practice at The Greenbrier in West Virginia.
"We've got multiple options [to replace Moseley], as you know," Shanahan said during his regular day-after-the-game conference call with reporters. "Guys were in that position last year. We've also got Dontae [Johnson], a veteran who's done it before. We've got young guys. As you guys saw, [Samuel] Womack is a possibility. And Ambry [Thomas] held that role pretty good last year, towards the end of the year."
Shanahan added, "We'll figure it out this week, but we haven't made our mind up yet."
Another possibility is Jason Verrett, who remains on the physically unable to perform list. However, the 49ers opened his 21-day practice window last week and could activate him soon.
"If Verrett is good to go, I mean, Verrett's a big-time corner," Shanahan shared. "So if Verrett can get these practice reps, and get out there, and get fully healed, and get back into game shape, and get ready to go, he'll end up being our guy."
Verrett returning to the starting lineup and filling in for Moseley would be a spectacular 49ers storyline.
"I'm definitely not putting it past him," Shanahan said. "I mean, JV is—I'm sure you guys have seen it a little bit just being around him—he is a very impressive person. He's gone through as much bad things in his career that he's continually had to try to overcome."
Verrett's best and healthiest year with the 49ers came in 2020 when he started 13 games and was arguably the team's best corner. He has landed on injured reserve in six of his eight NFL seasons.
"Playing the whole year in 2020, and the type of year he had [after] all the things that happened before that was unbelievable," Shanahan continued. "And he, again, had the setback the next year in Week 1 versus Detroit. And he's been working like he always has to come back from that.
"He's done the work to where he's healthy enough to get into practice now, but we just need him to practice some so he can make sure that he can hold up through everything and get his skillset back. If he does do that, I think you guys know, just like most of the people in this league know, how good of a corner JV is."
