San Francisco 49ers to bring back top CB Jason Verrett, GM John Lynch tweets

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers continued their focus on retaining their own key free agents Monday, agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with cornerback Jason Verrett.

Niners general manager John Lynch announced the agreement on social media, tweeting that he's "fired up" to have Verrett back with the team.

The deal is worth $5.5 million with incentives that could take it higher, according to a league source. Terms of the deal were first reported by the NFL Network.

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Less than 24 hours after fullback Kyle Juszczyk agreed to stay with the Niners, Verrett became the second of the team's top four priority free agents to re-sign. San Francisco is still working to retain left tackle Trent Williams and nickel cornerback K'Waun Williams.

Keeping Verrett was imperative for a team that has almost all of its top cornerbacks hitting the free-agent market. With Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley re-signing in the past week, the Niners still have needs at the position but have at least two obvious starting options under contract.

The 49ers also dipped their toes into the water with outside free agents Monday, agreeing to terms on a two-year, $12 million deal with pass rusher Samson Ebukam.

Ebukam spent his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, playing outside linebacker in their base 3-4 defense. In those four years, he posted 14 sacks, including 4.5 in each of the past two seasons.

Perhaps most important for the Niners, who were ravaged by injury last season, Ebukam has not missed a game in his NFL career.

Upon arrival in San Francisco, Ebukam is expected to bolster the team's depth at outside pass rusher. With Nick Bosa (knee) and Dee Ford (back) coming off injury and Kerry Hyder Jr. headed toward free agency, edge rusher is an offseason priority for the Niners even after the addition of Ebukam.

After injuries limited him to six games in the previous four seasons, Verrett was finally healthy and productive last season, emerging as the 49ers' most reliable cornerback in 2020.

Verrett, 29, played in 13 games last season, the first time he appeared in that many contests since he played 14 games in 2015. He posted two interceptions and seven pass breakups while also recording a career-high 60 tackles.

The 49ers originally signed Verrett as a free agent in 2019 after he spent five injury-plagued seasons with the Chargers. He appeared in just 25 games in those five seasons because of multiple injuries, the most serious of which was a torn Achilles tendon suffered in 2018.

Verrett played just three snaps for the Niners in 2019, but they re-signed him last offseason and he returned closer to his form of 2015, when he earned his first and only Pro Bowl appearance.