"It’s crazy how things shake out" - Richard Sherman talks about the chance to play with old foe Tom Brady
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are glad Richard Sherman is back in the NFL with the team.
The Bucs need help at cornerback. Last week, starter Jamel Dean suffered a knee injury against the Los Angeles Rams that will sideline him for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.
Although Sherman is unlikely to step right in and play, he should provide depth soon enough, as head coach Bruce Arians stated:
"He's got so much to learn, and he hasn't had pads on in so long. But he does know how to play the game."
Sherman, a five-time Pro Bowl selection and member of the 2010s All-Decade Team, has 36 career interceptions and 115 passes defended. One of his iconic moments came in his second season when the Patriots played at Seattle.
The Seahawks overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win. At one point, Sherman saw Brady and screamed, "You mad, bro?" as they walked off the field. With the caption "U mad bro?" that photo became a tweet and then a meme.
U mad bro? https://t.co/sDmeT9Ibyh
Sherman and Brady, friendship rather than rivalry
Of course, that was more trash-talking than reality, with Sherman and Brady striking up a friendship behind the scenes, as expressed by Sherman, whose Seahawks suffered a bitter, last-second defeat in a Malcolm Butler interception against the Patriots in the Super Bowl two years later:
"I think people get confused [by] on-the-field stuff, but we've texted over the years and have had a really cool relationship."
Brady himself hasn't shied away from the subject:
"I always thought it would be really cool to play together if we had the opportunity. It's crazy how things shake out."
"I like Richard a lot. I got to know him on that one particular day out there. He was kind of young and brash and excitable. I threw him a pick. That was the problem. I should have never tried him, but I didn't quite know the scouting report as well as I should have."
The Buccaneers coaching staff was incredibly familiar with Sherman, as Arians, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles had all coached the Arizona Cardinals. Before signing with the Bucs, Sherman had spent his entire career in the NFC West.
Asked about Brady making a recruiting call, Arians stated:
"When you want to talk about a veteran player, and you want to win a championship, and Tom calls you, you're going to listen, especially knowing the roster we have. I think there are a bunch of veterans out there wishing [Brady] would call them."
The coach said he was unconcerned about Sherman's troubles over the summer.
"I've known him a long, long time, 10-11 years, so, one incident, that doesn't affect me. We all make mistakes."