TAMPA, Fla. — It’s been nine years since Richard Sherman’s postgame tweet directed at Tom Brady launched an internet meme and lucrative T-shirt business.
“U mad bro?” Sherman tweeted following the Seahawks’ 24-23 comeback win over the Patriots in 2012.
But off the field, Brady and Sherman enjoyed a relationship of mutual respect.
A couple of weeks ago, even before the Bucs front office contacted Sherman, it was Brady who reached out to the five-time Pro Bowl cornerback. In so many words, Brady asked Sherman, “You ready, bro?”
“He reached out initially and just checked to see if I was in shape,” Sherman said on his podcast Wednesday. “He and I have had a relationship over the years, and he’s a great guy. Very encouraging. Obviously, like you said, we’ve had our history, but what happens on the field stays on the field. Off the field, I think we have a very solid relationship and we both thought it would be really cool if we had an opportunity to play together at some point in time, but with our situations it didn’t seem likely at any point in time.
“(Brady) reached out and said they may express interest and said obviously he wanted to play with me,” Sherman continued. “Then their front office reached out starting a few weeks ago when they lost their starter, (Sean) Murphy-Bunting. And then it kind of steamrolled. Then they got a little more banged up and the conversations continued. There was a little haggling back and forth. Obviously, some conversations with other teams. But it comes down to the best opportunity to go out there and win.”
Shortly after the Bucs lost to the Rams Sunday in Los Angeles, a game in which cornerback Jamel Dean left with a knee injury, the team contacted Sherman. He arrived in Tampa on Tuesday around 10 p.m.
Serving as his own agent, Sherman by Wednesday morning signed a one-year deal with the Bucs, who had about $4.1 million of salary-cap space.
Shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sherman walked onto the Bucs’ practice field wearing No. 5 (not his familiar 25) and was engaged in conversation with cornerback Carlton Davis. However, Sherman said it would be “foolish” for him to think he could play Sunday at New England.
“It’s anybody’s guess,’' Sherman said. “I’ll need at least a week of practice to hone into things and play at the level I’ve been before. I think it would be foolish to expect me to come out this week and play at a super high level. If I did it, it would be another thing to chalk up as a cool thing I did. But I think the expectation is to train and get in shape and give me an opportunity to play the following game.’'
In fact, Dean returned to practice Wednesday, Bucs coach Bruce Arians said.
“This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Sherman said. “I’m ready to strap them back up and go back out there and show that these old legs have got some juice.
“Obviously, they’re coming off the Super Bowl. They return all the starters. They have a great veteran team. Tons of talent. Obviously, Tom Brady at the helm, you’ve always got a chance. Great receiving corps. Elite receiving corps and a great grisly veteran front seven and a very talented back end. It’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Days before Dean was injured, Arians acknowledged the team was exploring the possibility of signing the 33-year-old Sherman, whose last full season was with the 49ers in 2019.
Sherman had some leverage and was talking to several teams, including the 49ers and Seahawks. He also let the Bucs know they would have to pay for him having to leave the west coast, where he has lived and worked his whole life.
“It’s a different team, a different environment, a different coast,” Sherman said. “It’s what I told Tampa, 'Y’all bringing me a long way from home.' I think it’s going to be fun, I think it’s going to be a great opportunity.”
Physically, Sherman had to get in shape without the benefit of a structured offseason or training camp. He is said to be down to 195 pounds and had played about 10 pounds heavier coming off an Achilles injury with the 49ers.
Mentally, Sherman also has been a work in progress.
He was arrested in July after he tried to force his way into a family member’s home after crashing his SUV in a construction zone. He pleaded not guilty to five misdemeanor charges, including driving under the influence and second-degree criminal trespass, and has been speaking to a therapist since the arrest, NFL Network reported.
A first DUI offense results in a three-game suspension, according to a provision in the NFL’s substance-abuse policy added in 2020. But those sanctions wouldn’t apply until Sherman’s case is adjudicated.
“It was a different challenge and mentally, I had my moments,” Sherman said. “I’ve adapted and changed some things in that respect in terms of the mental side of things in talking to counselors and getting some help, getting on some medication that I needed, and that’s helped tremendously as well. And having a supportive family, a supportive wife, on the days when I didn’t feel like I had the motivation, her kicking me out of bed and pushing me out of the house and going. It took a lot. It took a village.”
The focus this week is on Brady returning to New England, where he spent 20 seasons and won six Super Bowls with the Patriots.
He knew the Bucs young secondary could use a veteran presence such as Sherman. It’s not unusual for Brady to help persuade the team to add talent. He was instrumental in the Bucs trading for tight end Rob Gronkowski, running back Leonard Fournette and wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Sherman is just the latest.
