San Francisco 49ers: 15 best free-agent acquisitions of all time
By Peter Panacy
Greatest free agent acquistions in San Francisco 49ers history: 13. Richard Sherman
49ers Tenure: 2018 – 2020
When it happened, most Niners fans were probably a bit disgusted when the team inked a former division rival from the hated Seattle Seahawks, cornerback Richard Sherman, who jumped ship to San Francisco in 2018 after being a longtime enemy No. 1.
The Seahawks parted ways with Sherman following an injury-plagued 2017 campaign, yet an up-and-coming San Francisco squad felt he’d be the perfect addition to the defense, both as a scheme fit and mentor to many of the 49ers’ younger defensive backs.
And while 2018 wasn’t exactly a prolific year for both Sherman and the Niners, the follow-up 2019 saw Sherman re-emerge as one of the NFL’s top defenders, as he secured his fifth Pro Bowl nod as one of San Francisco’s team captains en route to a Super Bowl berth.
Sherman’s stats that year? A cool 61 tackles, 11 passes broken up and three interceptions, one of which went for a touchdown.
The future Hall of Famer finished his three-year stint after yet another injury-plagued 2020 campaign, yet his impact on a championship-caliber defense and his role in molding a budding secondary easily earn him a spot on this list.