Jason Verrett (born June 18, 1991) is an American professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
. He was selected by the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
in the first round of the
2014 NFL draft. He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
TCU Horned Frogs
The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University. The 18 varsity teams participate in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA Division I and in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for football, competi ...
.
Early life
Verrett attended B Gale Wilson Middle School and attended
Angelo Rodriguez High School, where he played
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
and ran
track. In football, he played
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
on offense and
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
on the defensive side.
["Jason Verrett Profile"](_blank)
. gofrogs.cstv.com. Retrieved February 14, 2013. He received Back of the Year honors on offense his junior and senior years. In track & field, Verrett competed in the
100-meter dash event in 2007, clocking a PR of 11.87 seconds at the SCAC FINALS Meet, where he took 3rd in the freshman/sophomore finals. This was the only year he competed in track.
College career
After graduating high school with no college scholarship offers, Verrett opted to attend
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) is a public community college in Santa Rosa, California with an additional campus in Petaluma and centers in surrounding Sonoma County. SRJC is governed by the Sonoma County Junior College District.
History
F ...
(SRJC). While at SRJC, Verrett was named to the all-conference first-team in 2010. He was considered a three-star recruit by
Rivals.com.
In 2011, he went to
TCU TCU may stand for:
Education
* Tanzania Commission for Universities, regulatory body for Universities in Tanzania
* Texas Christian University, a private university in Fort Worth, Texas
** TCU Horned Frogs, the athletic programs of the school
* Tok ...
and had 58
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position)
A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...
. The following year, he had 63 tackles and a team-leading six
interception
In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...
s. He was a first-team
All-Big 12 Conference selection.
He was also named an
All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
by ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
''.
Professional career
Pre-draft
He attended the
NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...
in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
and completed all of the combine and positional drills. Verrett finished second, among all participating
defensive backs
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
, in the
40-yard dash. On March 6, 2014, Verrett attended TCU’s
pro day
The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...
, but opted to stand on his combine numbers and only performed the
bench press
The bench press or chest press is a weight training exercise where a person presses a weight upwards while lying horizontally on a weight training bench. The bench press is a Compound movements, compound movement, with the primary muscles involved ...
and
vertical jump
A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of jumping upwards into the air. It can be an exercise for building both endurance and strength, and is also a standard test for measuring athletic performance. It may also be referred to as a ''Sargent ...
. He impressed scouts by performing 19 reps on the bench press with a torn
labrum in his shoulder.
Verrett attended a private workout with the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
and also met with multiple teams for pre-draft visits. He had pre-draft visits with the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
,
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
,
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
,
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
, and
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
. On March 17, 2014, Verrett underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum he sustained during the season. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Verrett was projected to be a mid to late first round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked as the third best cornerback prospect in the draft by ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' and NFL analyst
Bucky Brooks, was ranked the fourth best cornerback by DraftScout.com, and was ranked the fifth best cornerback by NFL analyst
Mike Mayock
Michael Francis Mayock Sr. (born August 14, 1958) is an American former professional football executive and player in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a safety with the New York Giants. After his playing career, he was a draft ...
.
San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers
2014
The
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
selected Verrett in the first round (25th overall) of the
2014 NFL draft. Verrett was the fourth cornerback drafted in 2014, behind
Justin Gilbert (8th overall),
Kyle Fuller (14th overall), and
Darqueze Dennard (24th overall). Verrett became the highest selected TCU defender since
Bob Lilly
Robert Lewis Lilly (born July 26, 1939), nicknamed "Mr. Cowboy", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college footb ...
in
1961
Events January
* January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union.
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...
. On May 29, 2014, the Chargers signed Verrett to a four-year, $7.88 million contract that includes $6.39 million guaranteed and a
signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $4.05 million.
Throughout
training camp
A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...
, Verrett competed against
Shareece Wright,
Richard Marshall, and
Brandon Flowers
Brandon Richard Flowers (born June 21, 1981) is an American musician. He serves as the co-founder, lead vocalist, primary songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional bassist of the Las Vegas-based rock band the Killers, which he formed with Dave Ke ...
. Head coach
Mike McCoy named Verrett the third cornerback on the depth chart to start the regular season, behind Flowers and Wright.
Verrett made his professional regular season debut in the Chargers season opener at the Cardinals; he recorded four combined tackles and defected a pass in their 18–17 loss. On September 14, 2014, Verrett earned his first career start in place of Flowers, who had suffered a groin injury. Verrett was inactive for the Chargers’ 33–14 win against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
in Week 4 due to a
hamstring
A hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in human anatomy between the hip and the knee: from medial to lateral, the semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris.
Etymology
The word " ham" is derived from the Old ...
injury.
On October 12, 2014, Verrett recorded a season-high six solo tackles, broke up two passes, and made his first career interception during a 31–28 victory at the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
in Week 6. Verrett intercepted a pass by Raiders’ rookie quarterback
Derek Carr with 1:13 remaining in the game to seal the Chargers victory.
Verrett left the game in the third quarter after injuring his
labrum in three places while diving for a pass, but returned to finish the game.
Verrett was inactive for the Chargers’ Week 7 loss to the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
due to his torn labrum. In Week 8, Verrett attempted to play with his shoulder injury after cornerbacks Flowers and
Steve Williams were listed as inactive due to injuries. Verrett made one tackle before exiting in the second quarter of the Chargers’ 35–21 loss at the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
. On November 15, 2014, the Chargers officially placed Verrett on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
for the rest of his rookie season. He required surgery to repair three tears to his labrum and a tear to his
rotator cuff
The rotator cuff (SITS muscles) is a group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the human shoulder and allow for its extensive range of motion. Of the seven scapulohumeral muscles, four make up the rotator cuff. The four muscles a ...
. Verrett finished his rookie season in 2014 with 19 combined tackles (18 solo), four
pass deflections
In American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, f ...
, and one interception in six games and four starts.
2015
Verrett entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback after
Shareece Wright departed for the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
during free agency. McCoy named Verrett and Flowers the starting cornerbacks to begin the regular season. They started alongside nickelback
Patrick Robinson and safeties
Eric Weddle and
Jahleel Addae.
Verrett was inactive during a Week 4 victory against the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
due to a foot injury. On November 9, 2015, Verrett made a season-high three pass deflections and returned an interception by Bears’ quarterback
Jay Cutler
Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. A member of the Chicago Bears for most of his career, he is ...
during a 22–19 loss to the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
in Week 9. Verrett intercepted a pass that was originally intended for wide receiver
Alshon Jeffery and returned it for a 68-yard
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
during the second quarter. In a Week 14, Verrett collected a season-high eight solo tackles, deflected a pass, and intercepted a pass by Chiefs’ quarterback
Alex Smith during a 10–3 loss to the Chiefs. His interception ended Alex Smith's streak of 312 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. He was inactive for the Chargers’ Week 17 loss at the Broncos. Verrett finished the season with 47 combined tackles (42 solo), 12 pass deflections, three interceptions, and one touchdown in 14 games and 13 starts.
On January 14, 2016, it was announced that Verrett was selected to play in the
2016 Pro Bowl as a late replacement for
Darrelle Revis.
2016
Verrett entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback. McCoy named Verrett and Flowers the starting cornerbacks to start the regular season. He started in the Chargers’ season-opener at the Chiefs and recorded two combined tackles, deflected a pass, and made an interception during their 33–27 loss. On October 2, 2016, Verrett collected a season-high six solo tackles and deflected a pass during a 35–34 loss against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
in Week 4. On October 5, 2016, it was reported that Verrett underwent an MRI after complaining of soreness and was diagnosed with a partially
torn ACL. It was later revealed Verrett played through the injury and was thought to have torn his ACL in Week 2 against the Jaguars On October 7, 2016, the Chargers officially placed Verrett on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. Verrett finished the
2016 NFL season with 13 combined tackles (11 solo), three pass deflections, and one interception in four games and four starts.
2017
On January 1, 2017, the Chargers fired McCoy after they finished the previous season with a 5–11 record. On April 24, 2017, the Chargers opted to exercise the fifth-year, $8.52 million option on Verrett's rookie contract. Verrett entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback under new defensive coordinator
Gus Bradley
Paul Casey "Gus" Bradley (born July 5, 1966) is an American football coach who is the current assistant head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Indian ...
. Head coach
Anthony Lynn named Verrett and
Casey Hayward the starting cornerbacks to begin the regular season. He started in the Chargers’ season-opener at the Broncos and made one solo tackle during their 24–21 loss. Following the game, Verrett began to develop knee soreness and was inactive for their Week 2 loss against the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
. On September 23, 2017, the Chargers placed Verrett on injured reserve after he injured his knee and elected to undergo knee surgery. He was limited to one tackle in one game and one start in 2017.
2018
On July 27, 2018, Verrett tore his Achilles tendon on the first day of training camp, ruling him out for the entire 2018 season. He was placed on injured reserve on August 2, 2018.
San Francisco 49ers (first stint)

On March 14, 2019, Verrett signed a one-year, $3.6 million contract with the 49ers. He was placed on injured reserve on October 3, 2019, with an ankle injury. Without Verrett, the 49ers reached
Super Bowl LIV
Super Bowl LIV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2019 NFL season, 2019 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2019 Kansas City Chiefs season, Kansas City ...
, but lost 31–20 to the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
.
On April 13, 2020, Verrett re-signed with the 49ers.
In Week 6 against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
on ''
Sunday Night Football'', Verrett intercepted a pass thrown by
Jared Goff during the 24–16 win. This was Verrett's first interception since 2016 and his first as a 49er.
On April 1, 2021, Verrett re-signed with the 49ers. He tore his ACL in the season opening win against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
, ending his season.
On May 2, 2022, Verrett re-signed with the 49ers. He was placed on the reserve/PUP list to start the season on August 23, 2022. The 49ers activated him on October 26. On November 9, 2022, Verrett tore his Achilles tendon thus ending his season.
Houston Texans
On October 11, 2023, the Texans signed Verrett to their
practice squad
In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...
. He was released on November 15.
San Francisco 49ers (second stint)
On December 11, 2023, Verrett signed with the 49ers practice squad.
On January 5, 2024, Verrett fell on the practice field and injured his rotator cuff, necessitating surgery and ending his season.
His contract expired when the team's season ended on February 11.
NFL career statistics
References
External links
*
TCU Horned Frogs bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verrett, Jason
1991 births
Living people
Los Angeles Chargers players
All-American college football players
American football cornerbacks
Players of American football from Fairfield, California
San Diego Chargers players
San Francisco 49ers players
TCU Horned Frogs football players
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players
Houston Texans players
21st-century American sportsmen