Richard Sherman has signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are in dire need of reinforcements in the secondary.
Sherman worked out for the Bucs on Tuesday and met with general manager Jason Licht and head coach Bruce Arians. Sherman acts as his own agent.
The five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro had been in contact with Arians and quarterback Tom Brady earlier in the month, the coach said. Sherman confirmed those conversations on the “Richard Sherman Podcast” in announcing he was headed to Florida.
“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.”
Since entering the NFL out of Stanford as a fifth-round pick in 2011, Sherman leads the NFL with 36 interceptions. Three of those picks came in a single game against Brady.
He has played in 139 regular-season games with the Seahawks (2011-2017) and 49ers (2018-20). He has also played 15 playoff games.
“We’ve got to see,” Arians said of his prior conversations with Sherman. “Just a matter of I coach the ones we got and let (Licht) handle the rest of that. We’ll kick the tires on some other guys, too. … If it’s the right fit, we’ll move on it.”
Sherman’s former teams — the Seahawks and 49ers — also made contact with Sherman, he said, as did the Carolina Panthers.
The Brady call to Sherman helped seal the deal.
“He’s the all-time great quarterback reaching out, and anytime he makes that call, it’s a very difficult opportunity to pass up,” Sherman said.
Tampa Bay cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting suffered an injury in Week 1 and was placed on injured reserve with a dislocated elbow. His replacement, Jamel Dean, left last week’s loss to the Rams in the first quarter with a knee injury.
Sherman pleaded not guilty to five misdemeanor charges in mid-July following his arrest for allegedly attempting to break into his in-laws’ house. Sherman was charged with driving under the influence, resisting arrest, endangering roadway workers and two domestic violence counts — second-degree criminal trespass and third-degree malicious mischief. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Friday in Washington.
Sherman, 33, has been in therapy since the incident, per NFL Network.
Sherman missed a career-high 11 games last season with the 49ers because of a calf injury. He recorded 18 tackles and one interception in five games before being released in February.
–Field Level Media