Richard Sherman played through a calf injury last season and was still the San Francisco 49ers' best defensive back. That was after a long offseason of rehabbing from an Achilles injury suffered the year before.
"I was kind of out there on one leg," Sherman recently told the Sacramento Bee.
Sherman played in just nine games in 2017 before his injury. It was the first time he wasn't named to the Pro Bowl after four-straight selections. Sherman started 14 games with the 49ers last year but went mostly unnoticed outside of the Bay Area. The 49ers' 4-12 record may have played a part in that.
A healthy Sherman and an improved pass rush could be significant for the nine-year veteran and his defensive back teammates. One "Good Morning Football" host believes Sherman is among the most underrated players in the NFL.
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"I think Richard Sherman last year had a really good season," Peter Schrager explained. "The Achilles didn't seem to bother him all that much, and then when it mattered most, (he) was shutting down the number one wide receivers in the league. That was with a completely depleted defense and an offense that had an undrafted rookie named Nick Mullens keeping them afloat.
"Last week, we did a conversation on best corners in the league. His name was not mentioned. Richard Sherman, still a four-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, Super Bowl champion, might be a Hall of Famer, and even in 2019, is one of the most underrated players in the league. Kyle Shanahan knows it. So do the rest of the Niners. Now, it's time for the rest of the world to know it, too."
Sherman finished last season with 37 combined tackles, a sack, and four passes defensed.
Could a 3-time All-Pro be "underrated"? @PSchrags says @RSherman_25 is still the number 1 cornerback on his team, and deserves a bit more respect on the national level. pic.twitter.com/OrCGjLIc5S
— GMFB (@gmfb) May 20, 2019
H/t to Patrick Tulini for finding a video of the segment.