49ers make it official, sign Richard Sherman to 3-year deal
Not long after reports surfaced that the San Francisco 49ers and Richard Sherman were nearing a long-term deal, the NFC West club locked the cornerback down for three years.
Cornerback Richard Sherman was likely never going to leave the NFC West.
He’s just moving a few hundred miles south.
On Saturday, shortly after ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported (per Sherman) that the cornerback and the San Francisco 49ers were discussing details on a three-year deal, the official confirmation followed.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport had details of the three-year deal between Sherman and the Seahawks’ division rival:
The #49ers reached an agreement with former #Seahawks CB Richard Sherman on a 3-year deal worth $39M, source said. $5M signing bonus.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2018
Spotrac had estimated Sherman’s market value at $10.5 million annually, but the 49ers apparently felt his value was a little higher than that.
$39 million is a lot to pay for a 30-year-old cornerback coming off Achilles surgery earlier this month. Sherman ruptured the tendon back in November and sat out the rest of the season.
At the same time, the four-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLVIII champion helped establish the vaunted Legion of Boom defense in Seattle, leading the league in interceptions in 2013.
He will provide an instant upgrade for the 49ers in their secondary, so long as he doesn’t miss a step in his return to form this offseason.
According to, Around the NFL’s Kevin Petra, Sherman is expected to be ready by the start of training camp.
Sherman was drafted by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. The 49ers will be the first new team he suits up for in his seven-year career.
The move marks a homecoming of sorts for Sherman. Though he is originally from Compton, California, he played college football at nearby Stanford.
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According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 49ers and Sherman had multiple meetings leading up to the signing because San Francisco wanted to be sure that Sherman would be healthy. The team must have been satisfied with what it learned.