Richard Sherman says 49ers have made it ‘clear’ he won’t be back

It’s going to be interesting to see how the San Francisco 49ers address their secondary this offseason. The team has limited cap space and nine players from the unit who could hit free agency next month.

One of those players who is up for a new deal is All-Pro Richard Sherman. The 32-year-old spent the last three seasons with the Niners, helping them make the Super Bowl during the 2019 campaign.

With a month to go until NFL free agency officially begins, Sherman caught up with Chris Biderman of the Sac Bee and says the 49ers’ brass has made it apparent that he won’t be back in the Bay Area next season.

“It’s been made pretty clear,” Sherman told Biderman. “It was a good conversation, nothing crazy. Just a good conversation about where they are and where I am, and their plans.”

Sherman added that he had a positive conversation with San Francisco’s management, and both sides are still on good terms.

Sherman tore his Achilles tendon in Week 10 of the 2017 campaign while playing with the Seattle Seahawks and missed the rest of the season. The Seahawks released Sherman during the offseason, leading to the five-time Pro Bowler signing with the Niners.

His best season in San Francisco came in 2019. Pro Football Focus gave Sherman a 90.2 grade and named him as the top coverage defender in the NFL. Unfortunately, Sherman injured his calf against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 of last season, which forced him to miss the next 10 games. Sherman only played in five games last season, finishing with 18 tackles, one interception and one pass defended.

During his seven years in Seattle, Sherman wasn’t particularly popular with The Faithful. The 49ers and Seahawks rivalry was particularly heated during the Jim Harbaugh years when both franchises were among the best in the NFL.

The perception of Sherman among Niners fans changed when he signed with the team. The veteran provided solid play and leadership during his tenure in San Francisco, earning the nickname ,“Uncle Sherm.” Sherman will look back at his time in Bay Area fondly.

“Very positive,” Sherman said to Biderman. “It was an incredible chapter in my career and I got to meet and play with some incredible human beings. I met some phenomenal coaches, and obviously the relationships that were forged will be lifetime connection and my relationship with ‘The Faithful’ has obviously evolved during that time, which has been a pretty cool arc in the story.”

What is your favorite memory from Sherman’s time with the 49ers?