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When Free Agency kicked off in March, most people expected Richard Sherman to be signed in the first handful of days. But three months later, Richard Sherman finds himself still waiting for the call. Why is he still waiting?
Why Richard Sherman should be valuable
Richard Sherman has played in several Super Bowls. He was the face of the Legion of Boom back in the early 2010s. He has been consistently solid or great in each of his years in the NFL. Most recently, 2020 saw Richard Sherman earn a 67.7 PFF grade.
Even as a backup cornerback, Richard Sherman could do a lot for teams. He can help establish a culture. He can provide advice and help younger cornerbacks. If he is inclined, he can switch to being a safety, minimizing the amount of running he would need to do. It's interesting that Richard Sherman has not yet landed with any of the 32 NFL teams.
Why teams may be hesitant
Richard Sherman is 33 years old. According to PFF, he is coming off his worst graded season in the NFL. Teams may be looking at his first down season as the beginning of the end.
They could also see his vocal personality as a hindrance rather than an asset. It may have been more of an asset earlier in his career when he was one of the top cornerbacks in the league, but as a backup in his mid-30s, his words may not carry the same weight they once did.
When will he be signed?
Richard Sherman has reportedly been in talks to return to the San Francisco 49ers but nothing has been hammered down yet. However, as teams start to put their players through their paces in mandatory minicamp and training camp this summer, Sherman's interest will increase.
Teams will look at who they have and realize that the potential is not coming to fruition. When enough teams get frustrated with who they have, they will look to see who they can add. Eventually, a team will look through the list of free agents and be shocked they can add Richard Sherman over the rookie cornerback who is in over his head.
Rest assured, Richard Sherman will have a home by the start of the NFL regular season. That said, this long wait has likely opened Richard Sherman's eyes that the end of his career could be right around the corner.
