Richard Sherman Talked With 49ers Brass, Says It’s ‘Pretty Clear’ He Won’t Be Back

49ers CB Richard Sherman has been pretty upfront this offseason that he doesn’t expect to be back in San Francisco in 2021.

He said he recently had a conversation with GM John Lynch and HC Kyle Shanahan to confirm that, and it was “made pretty clear” he wouldn’t be re-signed. 

“It was a good conversation, nothing crazy,” Sherman said via Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. “Just a good conversation about where they are and where I am, and their plans. We were both very positive and as good as you can be in a situation like this.”

Sherman added he had fond memories of his three seasons with the 49ers that included an appearance in the Super Bowl in 2019. 

“Very positive. It was an incredible chapter in my career and I got to meet and play with some incredible human beings,” Sherman said. “I met some phenomenal coaches, and obviously the relationships that were forged will be lifetime connection and my relationship with ‘The Faithful’ has obviously evolved during that time, which has been a pretty cool arc in the story. And I’m grateful for it.”

There has been speculation connecting Sherman and the Jets, given that they hired Robert Saleh as their new head coach. 

Then there were the comments made by Raiders’ HC Jon Gruden to Sherman on a podcast that Las Vegas may be interested in his services: “(We) are looking for an alpha presence in our secondary, somebody that could play this Hawk 3-press technique with the read step. If you’re available and interested, maybe you and I can get together at some point off air.”

Sherman had previously told ESPN that he plans to play until he is 35, and doesn’t rule out a potential switch to safety at the end of his career.

Sherman, 33, is a former fifth-round pick of the Seahawks back in 2011. He was entering the final of his five-year, $58.789 million contract when the Seahawks released him during the 2018 offseason.

The 49ers signed him to a three-year, $39.15 million contract. He’s in the final year of the deal and is set to earn a base salary of $8,000,000 this season. 

In 2020, Sherman appeared in five games for the 49ers and recorded 18 tackles, one interception, and a pass defense. 

We have him included in our Top 100 – 2021 NFL Free Agents list.