Richard Sherman: 4 teams that could sign former 49ers cornerback

Former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman remains a free agent, and these four teams could potentially look to bring him in for 2021.

Honestly, it’s not too big a surprise former San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman remains a free agent so deep into the offseason.

After just turning 33 years old, the five-time Pro Bowler is coming off a 2020 campaign in which calf injuries limited him to just five games played. And despite his Hall of Fame-caliber profile, Sherman isn’t quite the dominant defensive back he was earlier in his career.

This isn’t to say he can’t substantially help a team out there, though.

Sherman, at this point in his career, is likely waiting for a good opportunity where he can compete for another championship. A rebuilding team with oodles of cap space to toss Sherman a hefty contract isn’t an automatic fit, rather Sherman will be picky. He serves as his own agent, after all.

That said, these four teams could potentially end up being favorable landing spots for the veteran cornerback.

No. 4: Richard Sherman could re-sign with 49ers

While last season didn’t exactly go according to plan for Sherman and the Niners — injuries playing a huge factor for both parties — the two sides remained amicable even after Sherman told reporters it didn’t seem likely he’d be back.

With over $17 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap, San Francisco still has enough workable money to re-sign Sherman to a new deal if it wanted to. Plus, as long as they stay healthy across the board, the 49ers are very much considered a playoff contender in 2021, which should also be appealing.

The Niners do have injury concerns within their secondary. Starting corner Jason Verrett missed all but six games between 2016 and 2019, and San Francisco just lost reserve defensive back Tarvarius Moore to an Achilles tear. On top of that, the 49ers’ two rookie cornerbacks, Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir, have struggled early during OTAs and look like they’ll need some development time.

Sherman would likely be asked to take a limited role if re-signed, although his experience and leadership could prove to be valuable to a Niners secondary poised to go through a major transition in the coming years.