Richard Sherman publicly shined a light on the writing on the wall. The 49ers were going to be facing a salary cap crunch, he was hitting free agency, and San Francisco wasn’t going to be able to pay him while covering their host of other long-term financial commitments. Now it appears a once-closed door has started to creep open.
49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan in a video conference after Day 2 of the NFL draft was asked about a possible reunion with the future Hall-of-Famer. While he didn’t make any claims a deal was even in the works, he didn’t rule it out entirely.
Kyle Shanahan adds that "we would never rule him out" when it comes to a possible return for CB Richard Sherman.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) May 1, 2021
This came the same day after Sherman told Stephen A. Smith that a return to the 49ers was a possibility after the draft. San Francisco didn’t use a pick on a cornerback until their final selection of the third round.
Corner is a position of interest for the #49ers tonight. Worth watching also because CB Richard Sherman told Stephen A. Smith today that "a return to San Francisco isn't out of the cards." Sherman expecting business to pick up after draft. Seattle, NO, LV have made contact, also.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) April 30, 2021
How the 49ers operate over the closing rounds of the NFL draft could be an indicator of whether they think Sherman’s return is a legitimate possibility. He was an All-Pro in 2019 before dealing with a calf injury that kept him out for most of the 2020 season.
At 33-years old, it’s unclear what Sherman’s role with the club would be with Emmanuel Moseley and Jason Verrett both signed to one-year deals. He spent time at safety last year, which may wind up being the place he has the biggest impact in the twilight of his career.
Having Sherman back would be a nice boost for a 49ers defense that’ll need help finding its way under new defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.
Sherman in 10 seasons has earned five trips to the Pro Bowl and three First-Team All-Pro nods while hauling in 36 interceptions.