Sherman signed his 4-year contract extension on Wednesday that is worth $57.4 million with $40 million guaranteed. This extension makes Richard Sherman the highest paid cornerback in the NFL. He is set to make roughly $14 million a year on this contract which puts him $2 million more than Darrelle Revis, who is now the second highest paid corner in the game.
Sherman first began to make headlines around the league when he posted a picture of himself yelling at Tom Brady with the now famous quote, “U Mad Bro?” on his Twitter account.
He also made a memorable appearance during Super Bowl week in New Orleans last season when he was asking random people whether they thought Darrelle Revis or Richard Sherman was the best corner in the league. Most fans went with Revis although none of them were aware it was the All-Pro corner Richard Sherman asking them the questions.
Of course his most memorable media moment came after his unforgettable tipped pass in the NFC Championship game where his post-game tirade turned him into a household name across the nation, football fans or not.
However none of those moments played a role in why Sherman is the highest paid cornerback in the league. Sherman earned every single dollar he will make over those four years, thanks to dedication and hard work. This extension only makes sense since Sherman is easily one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, if not THE BEST.
He has had 20 interceptions since coming into the NFL as a 5th round pick out of Stanford. That is five more interceptions than anybody else in the NFL during that span. Sherman has had two back-to-back eight interception seasons including four in his rookie season.
Richard Sherman may have a 6'3 frame and some great athletic abilites but his football IQ is the real difference maker. So don't be surprised when Sherman is able to improve his game even further to clearly put himself ahead of the pack as the best cornerback in the NFL, because believe me that is his plan
This signing also comes less than two weeks after the Seahawks signed another key member of their defense, Earl Thomas III, to a 4-year extension worth about $40 million, or $10 million per year (Another Legion of Boom member, Kam Chancellor signed a 5-year extension last summer worth $35 million) locking in the Legion of Boom for the next half of a decade.
They Seahawks have now made Thomas III and Sherman the highest paid players at their positions with both making double digits in the millions category.
The Seahawks have now invested just over $132 million over the next five seasons, and that’s just in their secondary alone. That's a lot of money back there, however I doubt anybody in Seattle’s front office is opposed to the deals.
The Seattle Seahawks are coming out of the offseason as a clear winner after a shaky start. If you remember the Seahawks had yet to know where Michael Bennett and Golden Tate's futures would sign and negotiations for extensions with Thomas III and Sherman didn't seem to be going anywhere.
The Seahawks have secured the core of their secondary and locked in a great piece on their defensive line with Bennett's contract. They still have Cliff Avril locked up through the end of this upcoming season. With the draft coming today I expect the Seahawks to focus more on the offensive line since that is really their only major area of concern going into it, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them grab a wide receiver or free safety early on.
As far as the future is concerned the Seahawks only have to secure a couple more positions within these next couple seasons including Doug Baldwin, Russell Wilson, and Bobby Wagner. If they can get all of their core guys secured within these next few seasons we could very well be witnessing the beginning of the next dynasty in the NFL, but that's still a long road ahead.
They were able to take care of what they needed to this offseason with extensions for Earl Thomas III and Richard Sherman and it looks like its bright days ahead for the Seattle Seahawks.
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