49ers sign Richard Sherman, per reports

The San Francisco 49ers and defensive back Richard Sherman have agreed to a deal. Here are the details on the contract and the impact of the signing.

UPDATE —The structure of Sherman’s contract, via NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero: $2 million base salary, $2 million in 46-man roster bonuses, $1 million playtime incentive and $3 million Pro Bowl incentive in 2018 (and his $16 million in base salary for 2019-2020 becomes guaranteed if selected to the Pro Bowl). 

The day after being released by the Seattle Seahawks, Richard Sherman has come to terms with interdivisional rival, the San Francisco 49ers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the deal.

The full details haven’t been divulged, but ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported that Sherman’s 3-year deal is worth up to $39.1 million. According to Spotrac, Sherman will also receive a signing bonus of $5 million. Prior to the addition of Sherman, San Francisco had $62 million in cap space.

Sherman’s signing came after the veteran had dinner with head coach Kyle Shanahan the night of his release, as The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson noted. Quickly after that, the two sides were able to come to an agreement.

For the 49ers, the transaction carries significant weight.

A hole is filled

San Francisco was void of a true No. 1 cornerback. Now with Sherman, that is no longer the case. Cornerback was easily one of the team’s most glaring needs heading into the offseason.

Besides Ahkello Witherspoon, there was legitimately no other starting cornerback on the roster.

Granted, Sherman is creeping into his 30s and isn’t the exact same elite player he used to be. But Sherman has showed his top-tier ability has not yet vanished (via Pro Football Focus).

Sherman is coming off an Achilles injury, too. Obviously the medical staff felt comfortable enough to sign off on the physical for the deal to go through. Some explosiveness will admittedly be lost. But with every reward comes risk.

With Sherman in the mix, this is how the 49ers secondary could possibly line up like in 2018:

• Cornerback: Richard Sherman
• Cornerback: Ahkello Witherspoon
• Strong safety: Jaquiski Tartt
• Free safety: Adrian Colbert

That’s a unit that has the chance to be much better than the previous version.

As well as being a perfect scheme fit — Sherman played with current 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh in Seattle — the Stanford product also will get the chance to mentor younger players. Learning from one of the best minds in the game could prove to be hugely beneficial in the future for the youngsters of San Francisco.

Front office: Window of winning

With this move by the brass of the 49ers, it sends a clear message:

1. They believe their window of winning is now.
2. They are willing to be aggressive in order to capitalize on that window.

Just a year ago, San Francisco was doing its best to build from ashes. Trent Baalke had left a gaping hole, and John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have been working on mending the damage done.

The 49ers would not have been able to secure a meeting with Sherman at this time last year. The very fact they were able to do so speaks volumes of the progress that the pair has made, and the franchise as a whole.

San Francisco is now becoming a more desirable destination, and Sherman agreeing to a deal signals just that.

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