Richard Sherman signs with NFL super power
Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman has signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the team announced on Wednesday following Sherman’s announcement on his new podcast.
“I went with the best offer I had, the best opportunity to go out there and put some great tape on, to lead another group,” Sherman said. “I feel comfortable and confident in my abilities to go out there and execute and help that team win.”
Sherman is a five-time Pro Bowler who has been in the league since 2011. He spent seven seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
Last year in San Francisco, Sherman missed a sizable portion of the season with a calf strain. He only played in five games. The 49ers released him in February of this year.
Sherman leads the NFL in interceptions since his debut in the pros with 36. He played college football at Stanford, and the Seahawks selected him in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
The move comes as Tampa Bay’s defense has been disappointing this year, and starting corner Sean Murphy-Bunting is now on IR with a dislocated elbow. Additionally, cornerback Jamel Dean missed most of the Rams game last week after he suffered a knee injury. The prognosis is not serious, but Dean is unlikely to play this weekend against the New England Patriots.
Sherman said on the podcast he also explored joining his two former teams as well.
Sherman’s felony charge dropped from summer arrest
Sherman found himself in legal trouble this summer following an incident at his in-laws’ home. Additionally, he fled the scene by car and allegedly committed a hit-and-run that night. On July 14, the cornerback was arrested for burglary domestic violence, but the felony charge was later dropped.
The charges were changed to include five misdemeanor charges: second-degree criminal trespass, malicious mischief in the third degree, resisting arrest, driving while under the influence, and reckless endangerment of roadway workers. Sherman pleaded not guilty to all five charges, and four of them are still pending.
Sherman spoke about the incident in July with USA Today’s Doug Farrar.
“It’s just one of those days people have, bad days, caught me on a bad day, too much time on my hands, too much time to think,” Sherman said. “It’s unfortunate, one of those times in life where you reach a bit of a crossroads. My crossroad was seen more publicly. But I’m grateful for what happened. It was a good eye-opening experience, good chance for me to find help and to get the help I needed, and to have some conversations that I wasn’t able to have before and to get some clarity that I did not have.”
The NFL opened an investigation into the incident, but it is unlikely they will act before the situation plays out in the legal system.