The arrest of three-time All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman in a Seattle suburb earlier this week threw the entire NFL world for a loop.
Sherman, 33, was arrested early Wednesday morning and booked on multiple charges, including domestic violence burglary.
Immediate after reports of Sherman’s arrest broke, 911 calls were released from the sight of the incident, the home of Sherman’s father-in-law, Raymond Moss.
Details of the 911 call included Sherman’s wife, Ashley Moss, claiming that the cornerback was “drunk and belligerent” and that he was “threatening to kill himself.”
As the NFL deals with the news surrounding one of its most-respected players, the San Francisco 49ers released a statement indicating that they plan to fully support Richard Sherman and his wife during these times.
“They’re good people,” 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters on Thursday. “Just praying that they find their way through this and we’ll support them any way we can.”
Sherman starred with the 49ers over the past three seasons, helping them to a Super Bowl appearance following the 2019 campaign. Currently a free agent, there was some talk that Sherman might re-sign with San Francisco. Obviously, everything is now up in the air regarding his playing days.
“We were made aware of an arrest last night of one of our player leaders for an alleged domestic violence incident and have activated our domestic violence crisis protocol for the protection and support of everyone involved,” the NFLPA said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor events closely as more facts are made available to us.”
Richard Sherman arrest and mental health issues
Since entering the NFL as a mid-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, the 33-year-old Sherman has been a model figure off the field.
He’s spearheaded multiple charities to help those in impoverished areas, including his hometown of Compton in Southern California. The Stanford grad also sits in a leadership role within the NFL Players Association, acting as one of its Vice Presidents. On his profile page, the union had this to say about the future Hall of Famer.
“Born in Compton, California, Sherman excelled both on the field as a football and track star, and in the classroom as salutatorian with a 4.2 GPA at Dominguez High School,” the bio reads. “Sherman has been a player representative since 2014 and was re-elected in 2018 with his current team, the San Francisco 49ers. He was voted onto the NFLPA’s Executive Committee in 2016 and was re-elected in 2018 and 2020 to continue his vocal, passionate leadership.”
So what went wrong to lead Sherman into this cycle of alleged criminal activity that included a hit-and-run and the aforementioned incident at the home his his in-law?
To fall from grace in that manner, there has to be something happening behind the scenes in the life of Richard Sherman.
“He’s trying to leave now and being aggressive and he’s wrestling with my uncle,” Sherman’s wife said on the aforementioned 911 call. “He is threatening to kill himself. He has sent text messages to people saying he is going to hang himself.”
The hope here is that Richard Sherman and his family get the help that they need. Those around the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks included, should also do what they can to help out. It’s a fraternity and it needs to be treated like that.
As for the charges Sherman faces, they are serious. None of this absolves him of his alleged actions earlier this week. He will need to face the music and do his part to find a way to move on from it.