In the one season Jason Verrett played more than half the games, the Chargers cornerback earned Pro Bowl honors. But the other three seasons have ended in injury.
He played six games his rookie season, four games in 2016 and only one game last season.
Verrett is not yet cleared to fully participate in organized team activities as he works his way back from another knee injury, Eric Williams of ESPN reports.
Unable to count on Verrett, the Chargers have loaded up at the position. Starters Trevor Williams and Casey Hayward and slot corner Desmond King all return as do Michael Davis, Craig Mager and Jeff Richards, all of whom were either on the active roster or the practice squad last season.
“There’s great competition amongst them,” defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said, via Williams. “Every play, you have to be on it. With competition, it just keeps elevating the level of play.
Verrett, 26, will start if he’s healthy, but that’s been a big if so far in his career. He has played 25 of a possible 64 games.
The former first-round pick didn’t even make it through one game last season, reinjuring his left knee after 63 snaps in the opener. He partially tore the anterior cruciate ligament in the same knee in a Week 4 game in 2016 and needed more surgery last season.