Former Seahawks Cornerback Richard Sherman inked a three-year deal with the 49ers over the weekend and many noticed that he would still be playing in the NFC West. Sherman did admit that having the opportunity to beat his former team played a role in his decision to go to San Francisco, per the MMQB. He went on to say “I’m vengeful in that way.”
Sherman expressed his gratitude towards the fan base and team during his seven-year tenure but was surprised about the way Seahawks fans acted after the signing. He said that people were burning his jerseys and felt that he abondoned them.
“I love the fan base to death, and I loved playing there” said Sherman. “It was such a great opportunity. I helped the organization get to a great place and stay there. “But now it’s like I abandoned them. People are out there burning my jersey. Come on. I’m not the one who let me go. They let me go. I didn’t abandon anybody.”
Sherman also went on to say that he reached out to the Seahawks on a new deal along with the Raiders and Lions but none of them matched what the 49ers had to offer. The 49ers deal has guaranteed benefits that roll over into the following season if he makes the Pro Bowl. Per Josina Anderson of ESPN, Sherman’s incentive-laden deal is up to $39.5 million.
The 49ers will play the Seahawks twice a year and it will be interesting to see how fans from Seattle react to his return. San Francisco seems to be going in the right direction now with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback so the rivalry games between the two teams should return to being competitive on a primetime level again.