Richard Sherman is leaving Seattle. Earlier this week, rumors that the cornerback had been traded kicked into high gear after a couple of Sherman’s teammates tweeted out some strange messages that appear to have been their way of saying goodbye.
On Friday, March 9, it was confirmed that Sherman was released by the Seattle Seahawks with one year remaining on his current contract.
Rumors suggest that Sherman could end up playing for the New England Patriots, the Dallas Cowboys, or the reigning Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, but there hasn’t been any information about where Sherman will play.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Rumors Circulated After Some of Sherman’s Teammates Sent Out Cryptic Messages
On March 7, some of Sherman’s teammates posted some vague messages about saying goodbye to him, like the one above, posted by Kameron Chancellor, and the one below, tweeted by Jeremy Lane.
That text message got my heart hurting … damn 25 was my Dawg #WhatsNext
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Sherman’s teammates have been bidding farewell to No. 25, suggesting that Sherman has indeed been traded from the Seattle Seahawks.
“CB Richard Sherman has told teammates goodbye over the past 24 hours, sources say, and that he won’t be on the team. Those close to him say nothing is set in stone and there has been no official word. But clearly bears watching,” Rapoport tweeted just before 2 p.m.
2. Sherman Is in Las Vegas for Meetings With the NFLPA
Since Rapoport’s tweet, there has been word that Sherman will be meeting with Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and the team’s general manager, John Schneider, on Wednesday afternoon to “discuss his future.” A short while later, it was reported that Sherman was heading to Las Vegas for NFLPA meetings, which began on Thursday, March 8.
“Seahawks’ CB Richard Sherman is now on his way to NFLPA meetings in Las Vegas, which begin Thursday. Any talks with the Seahawks regarding his unsettled future in Seattle will continue while Sherman is in Las Vegas,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted.
Interestingly, ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweeted that she received a text from Sherman.
“I’m good. Not sure what that’s about… Haven’t been told anything,” the text read, according to Anderson.
3. Social Media Seem to Think Sherman Will End Up in New England, Dallas, or Philadelphia & These Rumors Have Circulated Before
Although nothing has been set in stone just yet, several rumors about Sherman’s fate have been circulating on social media. So far, there have been unconfirmed reports that Sherman will play for the Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, or the Dallas Cowboys.
You can see some of those rumors below.
Richard Sherman is a Patriots player according to Wikipedia
RICHARD SHERMAN TO THE @Patriots
In 2017, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reported that Sherman was strongly considering playing for New England or for Dallas.
“This offseason Sherman and Carroll held several private conversations. Sherman had told friends that he allowed himself to imagine playing for the Cowboys, maybe the Patriots, hoping Lynch would come out of retirement and join him in New England,” ESPN reported back in May.
Shortly after, ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that the Cowboys would “not pay big money” in the free agency market.
4. Sherman Has 1 Year Left on His Contract
Sherman earned approximately $11 million in 2017.
According to Spotrac, 2018 is the final year of Sherman’s four-year, $56 million contract that carries an average annual value of $14 million. For the 2018 season, he’s due to be paid $11 million in base salary and a $2.2 million signing bonus by the Seahawks, or any team that he might be traded to.
Sherman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2018 season, and will be free to sign with any team. It is likely, however, that he’ll sign a contract extension with whichever team may have traded for him. In fact, negotiations to trade Sherman may hinge on him agreeing to sign such an extension.
5. He Was Sidelined in 2017 With an Injury
Although he’s a fairly hot commodity in the NFL world, Sherman was sidelined mid-season in 2017 after suffering an Achilles injury in his right foot. Sherman said that he first injured his Achilles in Week 5 while playing the Los Angeles Rams. However, his Achilles completely ruptured in November when the Seahawks were playing the Arizona Cardinals. It was the third quarter when Sherman felt an unexpected “pop.” In that moment, he knew exactly what had happened.
“It’s one of those things that just didn’t want to heal,” Sherman said after the game. The injury ended the season for Sherman, who had never missed a game in the seven years that he played for the NFL. Sherman underwent surgery and spent several weeks recovering. More recently, Sherman underwent surgery on the Achilles in his left foot; that surgery was considered “minor.”
Just last week, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll game an update on Sherman at the NFL Combine.
“He is doing well. He just had his second surgery on the other side, which was a much more minor surgery, just cleanup but also in his Achilles. Very positive, he’s had a seemingly great process up until now. It’s a bit of a setback for a couple of weeks now because he is in the boot on the other foot but he is not slowing down he is working like crazy. He is having a fantastic off season his mentality is good. He’s competing like crazy right now,” Carroll told the media.
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Richard Sherman Trade Rumors: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know