Buccaneers sign ex-49ers CB Richard Sherman

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed cornerback Richard Sherman. Both Sherman and the Buccaneers announced the news on Wednesday morning.

Sherman's deal with the Buccaneers is for one year and worth $2.25 million, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The signing comes ahead of Tampa Bay's much-hyped Week 4 matchup against the New England Patriots that will feature quarterback Tom Brady returning to Foxborough.

Sherman said he had conversations with the 49ers, Carolina Panthers, and Seattle Seahawks but opted to join the defending Super Bowl champions after Brady and the Buccaneers expressed interest.

"There's been great interest from the San Francisco 49ers, a team [with which I] had a great relationship," Sherman said on his podcast during his announcement. "John and Kyle run a great ship, but obviously they've made some moves at cornerback with Josh Norman and [Dre] Kirkpatrick. They've got a rookie [Deommodore Lenoir] playing extremely well. Emmanuel Moseley is playing well. They've got [K'Waun Williams] in the slot; a little banged up but they're all doing a great job."

Last week, general manager John Lynch didn't dismiss the possibility of a reunion with the veteran cornerback but expressed confidence in the team's current cornerback situation.

"It's one of those things where you monitor the situation," Lynch said. "Right now, we feel good about where we are at, but Sherm's added a lot to this place over the years. We'll forever be grateful for that, and who knows? We could need him down the road. So, those are kind of the conversations we've had."

Of course, that was before San Francisco lost slot corner K'Waun Williams for at least "a few weeks." After suffering a lung contusion, Norman also left this past weekend's game against the Green Bay Packers.

"Obviously, I have a ton of love for The Faithful, and the Forty-Niner fans, and the 49ers front office, and that team," Sherman added. "A lot of friends and a lot of guys that I'm still rooting for and cheering for throughout the season. ... But this is an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

The Seahawks made Sherman a fifth-round selection out of Stanford in 2011. He registered 18 tackles, one tackle for a loss, a pass defensed, and an interception through five games with the 49ers in 2020. Sherman has recorded 484 tackles, two sacks, 115 passes defensed, 36 interceptions, three touchdowns, and five forced fumbles through his 10 NFL seasons.

San Francisco signed Sherman to a three-year deal in 2018. He finished the 2019 season as Pro Football Focus' highest-graded cornerback (88.9) and earned the analytics site's best coverage grade (90.1).

Sherman, 33, is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All-Pro.