The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed the top free agent still on the market on Wednesday. Cornerback Richard Sherman is joining the Bucs.
The defensive back initially announced his decision on his podcast. The Buccaneers have gone on to confirm the deal:
We've signed CB Richard Sherman.#GoBucs
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 29, 2021
Sherman joins a secondary in desperate need of an upgrade. While the Bucs are the defending champions, they’ve also allowed the most completions in the NFL through three games this season.
Injuries have not helped. Tampa is already without one starting cornerback in Sean Murphy-Bunting, who suffered a dislocated elbow in Week 1, and lost another one in Jamel Dean to a knee injury in Week 3.
A five-time All-Pro, the 33-year-old played just five games last year due to a calf injury. Sherman most recently played with the San Francisco 49ers.
He began his career with the Seattle Seahawks as a fifth-round pick in 2011, winning Super Bowl XLVIII there.
Sherman was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s, and has 36 interceptions and 115 pass breakups across 139 career regular-season games.
Earlier this offseason, Sherman had some off-field circumstances potentially cause him to remain a free agent until now. He was booked in Seattle initially for “burglary domestic violence.” Sherman discussed working through that with Touchdown Wire just last week.
[lawrence-related id=137602,137579,137537]