RENTON — Following the NFC championship game in which he finished the game playing through a painful elbow injury, Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman insisted he will “100 percent be able to play” in the Super Bowl.
And three days later when Seattle returned to practice, Sherman was indeed on the field participating fully. Sherman said his elbow, is still “a little bit sore,” but is “better than it was during the game.”
How much better? Asked about his range of motion, Sherman grinned and said, “If I had to slap my brother, I’d be able to do it.”
As for that 100 percent quote, Sherman wasn’t backing down from that Wednesday, saying, “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
Sherman acknowledged that trainers will likely make him wear a brace in practice but said, “They think it’ll be better by game day. There shouldn’t be any limitations, honestly. My left stiff-arm might not be the greatest right now, but other than that, I think I’ll be pretty decent.”
After Sherman injured his elbow on the first play of the fourth quarter, it was very apparent he was hurting. And with his left arm pinned to his chest, he was basically playing one-handed. Yet Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers never really tested Sherman after the injury, something the Seahawks cornerback thought might happen.
Then again, as Sherman notes, Rodgers paid the price for throwing his way earlier, throwing a first-quarter interception in the end zone. The Packers did complete one short pass in front of Sherman to Jordy Nelson, forcing the cornerback to make a painful tackle. But that third-down play was followed by Green Bay’s game-tying field goal, and was the last time Seattle’s defense was on the field.
“Was I surprised? Somewhat,” Sherman said. “I thought they’d try at least one. … The pass to Jordy, it did not feel great at all. Not fun, it wasn’t a fun down for me, but I got him down, they were off the field.
“They kicked a field goal and we didn’t have to go back on the field, so that was a good moment for us. It was sore, but I got an interception earlier in the game. Everybody that told him to throw at me kind of swallowed what they said after that point. ‘Oh, maybe that’s why you don’t throw at him, because he intercepts the football, and he’s caught 27 of them in the last four years, so you probably should stop throwing at him.’ That might have been what they were thinking.”
Free safety Earl Thomas, who separated his shoulder but returned to the game and is expected to play in the Super Bowl, sat out Wednesday’s practice. Also sitting out with injuries were guard J.R. Sweezy (ankle) and long snapper Clint Gresham (neck). Tackle Justin Britt, who missed Sunday’s game with a sore knee, was a full participant in practice.
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