Talk to Richard Sherman in three years.
That’s when the star cornerback’s new self-negotiated contract with the San Francisco 49ers will expire—and when the jury will have finally reached a verdict on it. Well, maybe.
After being released by the Seattle Seahawks earlier this month, Sherman was on the free agent market for all of three minutes before the 49ers called. One day later, he was under contract with the rebuilding NFC West rival. While it wasn’t surprising that the 29-year-old got scooped up as quickly as he did, the incentive-laden deal he went on to sign left plenty of people scratching their heads.
If all goes according to Sherman’s plan, the 29-year-old can earn up to $39 million over the next three years. But that’s a big If.
Criticism of the contract struck early and often, but Sherman has been well-prepared. He opened up about his departure from Seattle and set the record straight about his contract negotiations via a post written for The Players’ Tribune, titled How It All Went Down:
“Under my previous contract with Seattle, I had no guaranteed money for 2018. In my new deal with the 49ers, I get a guaranteed $3 million signing bonus right off the bat and another $2 million if I pass a physical before November 11, which is the last day a team can bring a player off the PUP list,” Sherman wrote. “And in a sport where contracts aren’t fully guaranteed, money in hand is better than anything. So $5 million for just signing the contract and passing a physical is a big win for me.”
The rest of Sherman’s incentives are tied to on-field play, No. of snaps, No. of games played in a season, and whether he earns Pro Bowl or All-Pro honours.
“Outside of this past season, I’ve never missed a game in my NFL career,” Sherman wrote. “So on top of my signing bonus and my $2 million base salary for 2018, we put incentives in the contract that will pay me more depending on how much I play — on both a per-game basis and a percentage of defensive snaps — as well as whether or not I make the Pro Bowl or the All-Pro team. All in all, including my signing bonus, I could earn as much as $13 million for 2018.”
In other words, this deal is all about Sherman betting on himself, his health, and his ability to channel the skill we saw win a Super Bowl (almost two of ’em) in Seattle as an original member of the Legion of Boom.
Here are a few more excerpts from Sherman’s Players’ Tribune piece, which is totally worth a read:
On why he decided to skip the agent route and represent himself
“One of the main reasons I had decided to represent myself in negotiations was because I knew it would be a big challenge, and I never shy away from a challenge. But also, I wanted to be represented by somebody who was going to look out for my best interest and nothing else. So I thought, Who better than me?”
On why the deal is good for the 49ers:
“Basically, if I never get back to the Richard Sherman everybody has become accustomed to seeing on the field, the 49ers are protected. They won’t overpay for somebody who’s not on the field and who’s not playing at a high level.”
On why he chose the 49ers
“Now, a lot of people are out there saying that the only reason I signed with the 49ers is because it means that I’ll get to play against the Seahawks twice a year. And I’ll be honest … that’s definitely a perk. I think whenever a team doesn’t want you, it’s your competitive instinct to want to stick it to them and prove them wrong.
But that wasn’t the only reason — there were a lot of factors.
The 49ers were the first team that called me, and they showed genuine interest. And I want to play someplace where I know I’m valued — where I know I’m wanted. So that was a big deal for me. They also made me an offer that other teams weren’t willing to match. The fact that it was a three-year deal was also important to me because I didn’t want to sign a one-year deal and find myself looking for a new contract — or a new team — again next year. I also get to go back to the Bay Area, which I’ve loved since my Stanford days, and it keeps me on the west coast, which is where my family wants to be.”
On his critics:
“This whole process has definitely made me more aware of the hate and hypocrisy that’s out there.
You got fans calling me a traitor and burning my jersey when they probably know that if they got fired from their job tomorrow, and a competitor offered them more money, they’d take it in a heartbeat.”
On betting on himself:
“Agents negotiate bad deals all the time. And while I don’t think every player should negotiate his own contract — it’s not for everybody — I felt I was up to the task. And whether you think it’s a good deal or a bad deal right now, the incentives give me the potential to make it a great deal over the length of the contract.
So talk to me in three years.”
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