The Seattle Seahawks won a thriller in Santa Clara on Monday night, beating the undefeated San Francisco 49ers in overtime, 27-24.
The battles between these two teams go back a long way, but perhaps the most important player in this rivalry is Richard Sherman, who had the infamous tipped pass in the NFC championship game that resulted in an interception and a win for the Seahawks. Seattle, of course, won the Super Bowl two weeks later.
Sherman eventually joined forces with the 49ers after getting released by Seattle, and has since drummed up controversy regarding his relationship with coach Pete Carroll and Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson.
While Monday’s game featured plenty of theatrics, it was a post-game moment that caught many people’s attention: Wilson and Sherman, embraced in a hug, exchanging their jerseys.
Sherman has long been an outspoken figure in the NFL, and many of his comments criticized coach Carroll’s alleged favoritism of Wilson over other — more outspoken — players on the Super Bowl-winning team, including Marshawn Lynch.
However, it appears Wilson and Sherman were able to bury the hatchet, a great sign of maturity for both players.
“Good moment, really good moment,” Carroll said on 710 ESPN Tuesday morning. “These guys are growing up. They’ve arrived, they’re real legitimate factors in this league. To demonstrate that kind of character and class is really what you hope to see.”
The Seahawks and 49ers will meet again in Week 17, this time in Seattle. That game could have serious playoff implications depending on how these two teams do down the stretch, but regardless it should be another fun, exciting game of football from two of the best in the NFL.
