Richard Sherman once again found himself in the headlines last week.
The Seattle Seahawks’ star cornerback, who’s never far from the spotlights, was one of the presenters at the MTR Western Sports Star of the Year event held last Thursday in Seattle, and while speaking to reporters Sherman revealed that he will now be acting as his own agent, something that generated a flurry of buzz in the aftermath.
But while Sherman acting as his own agent is an interesting diversion, the real question is whether he’ll be doing it as a member of the Seahawks.
Sherman is entering the final year of a four-year, $56 million contract extension he signed prior to the 2014 season. That means the time has arrived for the Seahawks to make a decision on whether Sherman is part of the team’s future.
Sherman is one of the iconic players in franchise history. He’s a four-time Pro Bowler whose 32 interceptions are tied with NFL Hall of Famer Kenny Easley for fourth all-time among Seahawks and are the most by any NFL player since 2011. He’s the highest-profile member of the Legion of Boom secondary, which came to define Seattle’s defense that dominated the league from 2012-16. When Sherman is on the field he essentially takes away a third of the field for the opposing quarterback. Who wouldn’t want that as a part of their team?
But the current circumstances complicate the matter. Sherman suffered a season-ending torn Achilles, and it’s unknown whether he’ll be able to get back to his best following the injury, especially since he’ll be 30 years old in the 2018 season. Then there’s the financial commitment, as Sherman has a salary-cap hit of $13.2 million for the upcoming season, which is the third largest on the team behind quarterback Russell Wilson ($23.786 million) and linebacker Bobby Wagner ($13.6 million). Sherman’s base salary is not guaranteed, meaning the Seahawks can save $11 million against the cap if Sherman is released prior to June 1.
Then one has to consider the state of the Legion of Boom. Strong safety Kam Chancellor also missed the end of the season, and his neck injury threatens to end his NFL career. Meanwhile, free safety Earl Thomas is also entering the final season of his contract, and he’s made noises about the possibility of holding out. Do those situations make it even more imperative to lock Sherman down? Or would it make more sense to knock it all down and start from scratch?
Sherman, who hadn’t missed a game in his NFL career prior to the Achilles injury, said himself that he expects to be back with the Seahawks next season.
So there’s lots to consider. What do you think the Seahawks should do about Sherman this season?
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