49ers’ cornerbacks to parlay success
Cornerbacks Jason Verrett, K’Waun Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon made for an astonishingly successful unit in the San Francisco 49ers’ win Saturday at Arizona.
How about in 2021?
All are under contract for just one more game — Sunday’s season finale against Seattle — before hitting unrestricted free agency in March, along with veteran leader Richard Sherman.
The 49ers (6-9) went into this season expecting big things from their cornerbacks. That proved to be especially daunting once pass rushers Nick Bosa and Dee Ford vanished less than two games in due to injuries.
Saturday, the cornerbacks — of the league’s fourth-ranked pass defense — raised their profile and market value from a 20-12 win over the host Cardinals.
Sherman, meanwhile, missed his 10th game this season because of a calf injury, and he watched from a State Farm Stadium suite alongside injured quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Let’s look deeper at the 49ers’ cornerback corps heading into Sunday’s season finale against the Seat
tle Seahawks:
VERRETT’S COMEBACK >> Verrett boosted his stock more than any 49ers cornerback this season, perhaps more so than any of the team’s 40 free agents, with plenty to be argued in favor of left tackle Trent Williams, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and defensive end Kerry Hyder.
“Guys really believe in this guy and they know how much it means to him,” coach Kyle Shanahan said of Verrett. “That’s why I wanted him back here so bad.”
Verrett, in pushing past his dubious history of leg issues, has started 12 games this season. Before Sat
urday, his comeback was highlighted with an end zone interception in an Oct. 18 home win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Verrett topped that Saturday with suffocating coverage against DeAndre Hopkins. Verrett broke up a potential touchdown catch before halftime, and he kept the All-Pro receiver from grabbing the game’s final pass.
Verrett turns 30 in June, and with his injury history, he won’t command a huge contract. He obviously merits much more, however, than the one-year deals he got from the 49ers in 2019 ($3 million) and this year
TUNE IN
Who: Seahawks vs. 49ers When: Sunday, 1:25 p.m. TV: FOX ($1.1 million).
“I’ve got a ton of respect for this organization, for allowing me to come back, show what I can do and believing in me,” Verrett said earlier this month. “It’s definitely a place I want to be but we’ve got to see where things go when the season is over.”
SHERMAN’S STATUS >> Conventional wisdom says the 49ers will have to keep either Verrett or Sherman. Sherman, who represents himself, spoke like an agent when he said this month it would take a miracle for the cap-strapped 49ers to have enough money for him and other teammates, such as Trent Williams, their highest-priced free agent.
Sherman, 32, missed nine games after the season opener with a calf injury that he’s said is not a chronic issue. But after a four-game return, he was inactive Saturday, and it’s unknown if he’ll return Sunday to face his former team, the Seahawks.
Sherman made a cameo at safety for select plays this month.