San Francisco 49ers fans know that retired cornerback Richard Sherman is never afraid to speak his mind. They have been on both sides of that from Sherman over the years.
Even though Sherman is now retired, he is still getting into trash-talk controversies. He is now a member of the Thursday Night Football pre- and post-game crew and sounded off as he always does on Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens after a lackluster performance against the Detroit Lions.
Sherman was pretty hard on Pickens, essentially saying that he was not giving it all and even said that Pickens looked "uninterested" during the game. That clearly did not sit right with Pickens, as he took aim at Sherman on social media following the game.
Pickens eventually took the post down, but he defended himself and criticized Sherman, even taking aim at his tenure with the 49ers.
"We all remember San Francisco, brother," Pickens wrote, seemingly implying that Sherman was not as good following his time with the Seattle Seahawks earlier in his career when he was seen as one of the best cornerbacks in the game.
Sherman wrote the following on social media when someone pointed out that Sherman was an All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl during his time with the Niners:
"Lol kid hasn’t done enough to merit a response from me. I was working on my 3rd consecutive 1st team All pro and 2nd SB appearance at the same point in my career. Lol I made an ALL-Pro team and SB in SF but that’s the fall off for me."
Lol kid hasn’t done enough to merit a response from me. I was working on my 3rd consecutive 1st team All pro and 2nd SB appearance at the same point in my career. Lol I made an ALL-Pro team and SB in SF but that’s the fall off for me. https://t.co/r0u3yAPoBR
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) December 5, 2025
While Sherman was certainly not at the same level he was in Seattle after joining the Niners, he was still a solid player. He was a key part of the San Francisco's defense in 2019 and definitely helped it reach a Super Bowl that season even though he did have some rough moments in the big game.
In total, across three seasons in the Bay Area, Sherman had four interceptions and 16 passes defended. He was not as elite as he was with the "Legion of Boom," but he was not as washed as Pickens seemed to imply.
Ultimately, this just seems to be salty bickering between two guys who like to talk smack. Cornerbacks and wide receivers are natural enemies, so it is not a surprise to see that Sherman is calling out and antagonizing wide receivers even though his playing days are over.