Following cornerback Jason Verrett‘s season-ending injury, the 49ers have brought in some reinforcement at the position. The 49ers are finalizing a deal with free agent cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
[RELATED: 49ers Fear Torn ACL For Jason Verrett]
Kirkpatrick has flirted with teams throughout the offseason, previously auditioning for the Saints, Patriots and Texans. He also worked out for the 49ers recently, and that ended up turning into a contract. The 31-year-old saw time in 14 games (11 starts) for the Cardinals in 2020, finishing with 56 tackles, seven passes defended and three interceptions. The longtime Bengals starter has totaled 358 tackles, three sacks, 72 passes defensed and 13 interceptions in nine NFL seasons.
Verrett had a standout season for the 49ers in 2020, and San Francisco brought him back on a one-year deal. Unfortunately for him and the 49ers, the veteran suffered an ACL tear during Sunday’s victory, ending his season after only one game. San Francisco has already had to shuffle around its cornerbacks corps; the 49ers needed rookie Deommodore Lenoir to fill in for Emmanuel Moseley, and they previously added Josh Norman. Before signing Kirkpatrick, head coach Kyle Shanahan seemed to imply that San Francisco could look for some extra depth at the position.
“With that being the case, I feel we got enough guys in our building,” Shanahan said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area). “But that’s something you always got to look to see if there’s any way you can improve. You always do that.”
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