For years, Richard Sherman was the enemy. Now he’s a 49er, and San Francisco general manager John Lynch believes he’ll become a fan favorite this coming season.
The former Seahawks cornerback – perhaps the best in the NFL during his time in Seattle – was a prime-time performer (and talker) in the period when the Seahawks-49ers rivalry was one of the best in the NFC.
“There’s a lot of Niners fans that didn’t know what to think because they’ve really not liked Richard Sherman,” said Lynch on Pro Football Talk Live this week. “My message to them is, I think you’ll love him now.”
The 49ers signed Sherman as a free agent, and hope he’s still at the top of his game in 2018 after an Achilles’ tendon tear cut his 2017 season in half. If he is, the 49ers defense will finally have a shut-down corner, something the team has lacked for a long time.
This week, Sherman’s former head coach in Seattle, Pete Carroll, told reporters he believes Sherman will come back strong from the injury and be an elite player.
“Don’t count him out,” Carroll said at the NFL annual meetings in Orlando, Fla. “He has a lot to endure right now. He’s got a lot coming at him in the rehab process, particularly playing the position that he plays. But I would never count Sherm out. He’s always been so possessed about his health and his well-being and overcoming the odds.
Sherman will turn 30 this week. His experience and knowledge are what make him special, says Carroll.
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“He’s a very versatile football player and uniquely talented,” said Carroll. “Most of all it’s his smarts and his savvy that make him the player that he is.”
