Richard Sherman reveals Tom Brady recruited him to the Buccaneers
Since the NFL season began, people have been asking, "Who will sign Richard Sherman?" Sherman is a three-time first-team All-Pro selection and has made five pro-bowls. He's 33 years old now but was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in 2019. Wednesday morning finally gave us an answer on Sherman's status.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost two starting cornerbacks with injuries through three games. Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean are out, which opened the door for Sherman. Sherman revealed in the debut episode of his podcast Monday morning that he's a member of the Buccaneers and that Tom Brady played a role.
I’m back.
All the details in episode 1 of the Richard Sherman podcast here: youtu.be/kiDIH1EiMPM
Richard Sherman reveals Tom Brady recruited him to the Buccaneers
Richard Sherman mentioned that Brady was the first person to reach out to him. He was checking to see if Sherman was in shape and to let him know the team might be interested.
He reached out initially to check and see if I was in shape. He and I have had a relationship over the years and he's a great guy, very encouraging. Obviously, like you said, we had our history but what happens on the field stays on the field. And off the field I think we have a very solid relationship. And I think we both thought it'd be really cool to have the opportunity to ply together at some point in time.
Sherman's history with Brady goes way back to 2012 when Sherman was a hotshot second-year player on the rise. He famously asked Brady, "You mad bro?" in a moment that made Sherman a massive talking point across the league.
But according to Sherman, that beef is behind them. If there's anything we've learned about Brady, it's that he loves a competitive spirit. Richard Sherman is as competitive as a defensive player in the NFL can get.
He went on to say that they started expressing interest after Week 1 when the Buccaneers lost Murphy-Bunting.
He reached out and said they may express interest and obviously he wanted to play with me. Then their front office reached out and the conversation started a few weeks ago when they lost their starter Murphy-Bunting.
Sherman will play in the best defense he's played with since the Legion of Boom. Todd Bowles will sleep easier at night knowing Sherman is on the outside covering opponents' top wide receivers. His presence will make young players Devin White and Antoine Winfield Jr. better. The amount of knowledge he has that he can pass down is an invaluable trait.
New Bucs corner Richard Sherman said on his podcast he's dropped significant weight, said he feels "a lot better, a lot springier, a lot faster, a lot better-conditioned and better able to take the wear and tear of a season. We'll see how it goes."
Sherman says he's able to take on the wear and tear of a season. It is noteworthy because the Buccaneers will be relying on him to play the rest of the season. One of the strongest teams in the NFC just got stronger.