Richard Sherman is back in the NFL.
And the five-time Pro Bowl cornerback and a stalwart of a Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks defensive unit is joining a former rival.
Sherman signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday after an earlier visit to the team’s facility. The 33-year-old joins the defending Super Bowl champs and quarterback Tom Brady, the latter whom Sherman famously teased with a “U mad bro?” tweet following a Seahawks win over the New England Patriots in 2012.
Sherman had been out of the NFL so far this season. In July, Sherman was arrested and was booked on multiple charges following a confrontation at his wife’s parents’ home. He was charged with a total of five misdemeanors, including two counts of domestic violence, resisting arrest, driving while under the influence and reckless endangerment of roadway workers, according to ESPN.
Despite the legal troubles, a number of NFL contenders had been pursuing Sherman — including his former teams, the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. The Buccaneers reached out to Sherman after suffering multiple injuries in their secondary as Sean Murphy-Bunting and Jamel Dean have both gone down.
Sherman, a fifth-round pick out of Stanford, has been in the NFL since 2011. He spent seven seasons with the Seahawks and the past three with the 49ers. He won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks during the 2013-14 season.
“I went with the best offer I had, the best opportunity to go out there and put some great tape on, to lead another group,” Sherman said on his podcast. “I feel comfortable and confident in my abilities to go out there and execute and help that team win.”
