Richard Sherman plans to play for another team in 2021. It sounds like the San Francisco 49ers expect that to happen, too. The veteran cornerback will hit free agency next month, and the Niners will move forward without him. The team has a reduced salary-cap to deal with and several tough decisions to make, making Sherman set to become a cap casualty.
Cris Collinsworth recently asked Sherman what that conversation with general manager John Lynch was like. The defender says there is no animosity between the two sides. Sherman, who acts as his own agent and is part of the NFLPA executive committee, understands professional football's business side. That is allowing the two sides to part amicably.
"Honestly, it was fantastic. It was business-like," Sherman told Collinsworth during the Cris Collinsworth Podcast, which Sherman co-hosts. "I think the respect, the appreciation, and the understanding of the positions we're both in, and what we were able to accomplish all went into it."
Sherman is preparing to enter his 11th NFL season and plans to play two more years. After that, he hopes to stay close to the game he loves by entering broadcasting or pursuing a front office career.
With an abundance of mutual respect, there was nothing uncomfortable about the conversations between Sherman and Lynch. The talks were casual, and an understanding was reached before the end of the season.
"We were just talking how strong the team they had and the decisions that he's made, and some of the cool things that have happened for him," Sherman continued. "But when we talked contracts, it's always been an understanding. I understand both sides of it.
"I understand, as a player, what I'm expected to do, the things that I bring to the table. I understand him as a GM, the decisions that he has to make, the constraints that he's under in terms of cap, in terms of other players' deals coming up, in terms of injury history, in terms of just the future of the franchise. So, when we have those conversations, there's really not a lot of emotion involved.
"It's understanding the numbers, understanding the impact, and at the end of the day, coming to a decision that's in the best interest for him, for the team, and for me, my future, and my family."
Injuries limited Sherman to just five games this past season. The cornerback recorded 18 tackles, a tackle for a loss, an interception, and a pass defensed in 2020, his third and likely last season with San Francisco. The 49ers signed Sherman in 2018 after the defender spent his first seven seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
You can listen to the entire podcast featuring Collinsworth, Sherman, and their guest, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane, below.