It's tough to think of a player in recent NFL history who has endured worse injury luck than Jason Verrett, and the San Francisco 49ers cornerback suffered another crushing setback in practice this week.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed on Friday that Verrett suffered a torn rotator cuff in Thursday's practice and will require surgery that comes with a four to six month recovery period.

Asked if Sunday's Week 18 game with the Los Angeles Rams, in which the NFC one seed 49ers have nothing to play for, is an opportunity for Verrett to get some playing time, Shanahan replied: "It was, he was gonna play a lot, yesterday he landed on his shoulder and he has to get rotator cuff surgery."

Yet more misfortune

It is another devastating blow for a player who has endured far too many in a promising career derailed by injuries. 

Verrett signed to the 49ers' practice squad for a second spell with the team last month after a stint with the Houston Texans practice squad and played five snaps against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day. He previously tore his ACL in 2021 and a hugely impressive 2020 with the Niners and then tore his Achilles days after coming off the PUP list in 2022.

Added Shanahan: "We all know when he tore his ACL in Detroit, Week 1 [2021] on that turf, took about a year and a half to get back from it then got his Achilles just on air last year on the field. 

"He was practicing his butt off all week, we were going to play him a lot in this game, he's been awesome this last month. He jumped up for a ball and just came down on his shoulder in an awkward position."

A crumb of comfort

Shanahan did take some solace in the fact that the nature of the injury is not one that will prevent him from attempting another comeback, and is hopeful Verrett will stay around the team as they look to reach Super Bowl 58.

"It's crushing for him but it's also a shoulder injury," Shanahan said. "It wasn't like a knee or a leg but you do have to get surgery for that stuff so he found that out this morning.

"He's going to be pretty down for a little bit, I hope he hangs around here because we all love him around here, I think that could help him. This will pass, like it always does.

"He had a long road to get back to this point and I just told him I can't believe how good he's looked, didn't think it would ever possible to come back from what he has, all the knees and the Achilles and everything and he did and he looked great in Houston and he looked great here, so perfect opportunity for him to play this week so he could play a lot and see how he was going into the playoffs and he got a random shoulder injury. 

"Just trying to put it into perspective for him it's not like you got your knee again, it's not like you get your Achilles or anything, that's something you can come back from, but I don't think that's on his mind right now."

Verrett would likely have played in the slot and potentially offered the 49ers an experienced backup behind Deommodore Lenoir at that spot. Instead, Isaiah Oliver will likely remain the primary backup at nickel in the postseason, though Samuel Womack III and Logan Ryan can also play there.

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