Can 49ers Richard Sherman keep it up entering 2020?
By Peter Panacy
49ers cornerback Richard Sherman enjoyed a bounce-back year in 2019, yet the veteran is approaching that questionable age in his career.
“The game, as I’ve gotten older, has gotten easier,” San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman told Laugh Out Loud network’s Kevin Hart earlier this offseason.
Judging by what Sherman put together over the course of 2019, it’s hard to argue that statement.
Sherman, who turned 32 years old last March, put together his best campaign since 2016 when he was with the Seattle Seahawks, recording his first Pro Bowl nod as well as a second-team All-Pro nomination as the Niners’ top cornerback.
And the stats were Sherman-esque, too, clearly demonstrating the savvy veteran hasn’t succumbed to the notion Father Time catches up with everyone… yet:
| Game | Game | Def | Def | Def | Def | Def | Fumb | Fumb | Fumb | Tack | Tack | Tack | Tack | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Sk | Comb | Solo | Ast | TFL |
| 2011 | 23 | SEA | LCB | 25 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 45 | 0 | 33 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 55 | 47 | 8 | 0 |
| 2012+ | 24 | SEA | LCB | 25 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 57 | 1 | 29 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 | 65 | 54 | 11 | 0 |
| 2013*+ | 25 | SEA | LCB | 25 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 125 | 1 | 58 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 48 | 38 | 10 | 0 |
| 2014*+ | 26 | SEA | LCB | 25 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 81 | 0 | 53 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 57 | 45 | 12 | 2 |
| 2015* | 27 | SEA | LCB | 25 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 30 | 0 | 26 | 14 | 0.0 | 50 | 33 | 17 | 1 | |||
| 2016* | 28 | SEA | LCB | 25 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 37 | 0 | 31 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 58 | 38 | 20 | 2 |
| 2017 | 29 | SEA | LCB | 25 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 1 |
| 2018 | 30 | SFO | LCB | 25 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 | 37 | 30 | 7 | 3 |
| 2019* | 31 | SFO | LCB | 25 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 65 | 1 | 31 | 11 | 0.0 | 61 | 48 | 13 | 2 | |||
| Care | Care | 134 | 128 | 35 | 460 | 3 | 58 | 114 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2.0 | 466 | 358 | 108 | 11 | |||
| 7 yr | 7 yr | SEA | 105 | 99 | 32 | 395 | 2 | 58 | 99 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1.0 | 368 | 280 | 88 | 6 | ||
| 2 yr | 2 yr | SFO | 29 | 29 | 3 | 65 | 1 | 31 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 | 98 | 78 | 20 | 5 |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/27/2020.
Entering the final season of the three-year, $27.15 million contract this season, it’s only inevitable to wonder how the crossroads of a contract year and Sherman’s age will go. On one hand, there are few reasons to assume Sherman suffers any sort of dramatic fall off.
On the other, that Super Bowl LIV fourth-quarter reception allowed to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins wasn’t overly pretty either.
But it’s silly to judge any defensive back, or any player for that matter, solely on one play. And there’s plenty of evidence to suggest Sherman will put forth yet another great year as San Francisco’s top defensive back this upcoming season.
Niner Noise’s “Who Is?” series asks those questions and more right here.