Report: Richard Sherman Wanted To Be Traded, Which Led To Seahawks Speaking To Teams

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it’s his understanding that Seahawks CB Richard Sherman was the one who initiated the trade talks.

“It has been my understanding all along that Richard Sherman was the one who initiated this,” Schefter said on Sportscenter, per Sheil Kapadia. “He was the one that wanted to be traded initially. The Seahawks were obliging him and his request.”

This is interesting, considering that reports have said for a few weeks now that Seattle was looking to move him in order to get their cap in better shape while getting younger at cornerback.

Sherman told Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com yesterday that there’s “very little chance” of a trade happening and he has no issues with the Seahawks.

“Very little chance it happens, but both sides are listening,” Sherman told Breer. “I honestly don’t have much more to say about it than what I’ve already said. We have a great relationship. … There is a lot of love and respect. There is no bad blood.”

Some have wondered if all of this is the Seahawks looking to send Sherman a message, to which he replied: “Not at all. I’m not in the least bit concerned about that.”

Jeremy Fowler reported that the Seahawks not only have fielded calls for Sherman but have also initiated trade talks with teams.

According to Fowler, multiple people in the NFL believe it would require a high draft pick to get Sherman from the Seahawks. Fowler says that the trade talks range from “fact-finding to more serious.”

Ian Rapoport later confirmed that the Seahawks’ asking price for Sherman is “very high.”

“Potentially a first-round pick,” Rapoport said. “Potentially a very good player on a low contract and a pick as well.”

Sherman, 28, is a former fifth-round pick of the Seahawks back in 2011. He’s currently in the fourth years of his five-year, $58.789 million contract that includes $40 million guaranteed and stands to make base salaries of $11.431 million and $11 million over the final two years of the agreement.

According to OverTheCap.com, trading Sherman would free up $9,231,000 of available cap space while creating $4,400,000 in dead money.

In 2016, Sherman appeared in all 16 games and recorded 58 tackles, four interceptions, a fumble recovery and 13 pass defenses. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 13 cornerback out of 112 qualifying players.

We’ll have more regarding a potential Sherman trade as the news is available.