Despite his recent legal troubles, several NFL teams were reportedly willing to give free agent cornerback Richard Sherman a second chance. One of these teams being his most recent San Francisco 49ers squad.
While the Niners showed interest in re-signing their secondary veteran at some point this season, Sherman ultimately decided to sign with the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this morning.
On Wednesday afternoon, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the team’s mindset regarding Sherman’s free agency situation.
Ultimately, the decision came down to availability at the cornerback position.
Tampa Bay was able to offer an immediate starting role for the three-time All-Pro corner. San Francisco was not.
“We were hoping he was going to be there for a while, so when it made it sense for us, we could do it,” Shanahan said, per Niners insider David Lombardi.
Shanahan says Richard Sherman signing w/ TB instead of 49ers came down to timing — the Bucs had a defined starting role for Sherman now, whereas SF’s situation wasn’t there.
“We were hoping he was going to be there for a while, so when it made it sense for us, we could do it.”
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 29, 2021
Following the Week 1 injury to Sean Murphy-Bunting that saw him land on IR (elbow dislocation) and this past Sunday’s injury to Jamel Dean (knee), the Bucs have a severe need for depth at the cornerback position — leaving the door wide open for Sherman as an immediate starter.
Because of this, Sherman felt like Tampa Bay’s offer was his best available.
“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 on The Richard Sherman Podcast. “I feel comfortable and confident in my abilities to go out there and execute and help that team win.”
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