When Jason Verrett worked out for the San Francisco 49ers in September, about seven of his former teammates gathered near the practice field to watch the veteran cornerback. Head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted that he had never witnessed that before.
"So it just shows how our team felt about him," Shanahan said.
After a subsequent workout on November 16, the 49ers extended an offer for Verrett to join the practice squad. The two sides didn't come to an agreement until this week, with Verrett officially signing on Monday.
"I'm excited to be back," Verrett told reporters on Wednesday. "I missed the guys. Just excited to get back out there."
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It's clear the cornerback remains a locker-room favorite. The camaraderie he shares with the team is evident in players' reactions to the reunion.
"We got our big brother back," cornerback Deommodore Lenoir said. "Coming in as a rookie, he always had us under his wing, me and [CB] Ambry [Thomas], when we first got here, teaching us the defense. So just for him to come back and see us progress, I felt like that was the best feeling to come back to, and also being able to play with him again."
Verrett is well over a year removed from the Achilles injury he suffered during a 49ers practice session in 2022. That injury halted his comeback from the ACL injury he sustained in Week 1 of the 2021 season.
"I feel like, ever since I've been here, he's been a part of the team, even when he's not here," defensive end Nick Bosa said. "A lot of guys go through injuries. Not many people are able to make it back from as many as he's been through. I told him yesterday he's an inspiration to us all, just to keep grinding, and just the mental aspect that you have to take into account when you're going through that many traumatic injuries and recoveries. He's definitely a special guy."
Lenoir was a teammate with Verrett for only a short time. However, it was enough for Verrett to make a significant impression on the young cornerback.
"We have so much respect for him already, so we already know what he can do," Lenoir said. "So him just coming back, we still got respect. We just want to learn more, and know more, and see what we can apply from his game to our game. He's like an open book. He's always coming to us with tips, telling us and just helping us realize about the formations and just everything."
When asked about the admiration exuded by his teammates, Verrett responded, "It means a lot. That just speaks volumes to everybody here, from top to bottom in the organization, how they feel about me, and I just try to reciprocate the same energy. But like I said, I'm just excited to be back. I missed all the guys. Just ready to help them get on this run."
Verrett added, "The relationship I got with these guys is bigger than just being in the locker room. ... My heart was always wanting to be here. So fast forward, I'm just happy that it worked out."