Former Buccaneer Richard Sherman Explained How he Knew it Was Time to Retire

During a Thursday night football matchup in 2021, former Buccaneer and NFL star Richard Sherman determined it was time for him to hang up the cleats.

Richard Sherman had an illustrious career that ended with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has done more than enough to cement himself as a Hall of Fame player. 

After spending seven years with the Seattle Seahawks and an additional three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Sherman joined the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers for the 2021 NFL season.

However, during his Buccaneers tenure, Sherman had a wake-up call during a Thursday night football game. On his podcast, The Richard Sherman Podcast, he explained to his guest, Lane Johnson, the moment he realized he needed to retire from the game.

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“I had just came to Tampa so that was my third game. DeVonta [Smith] must’ve run this comeback, and I had him under control, I was like, ‘bam, quick jam, easy, got him under control,'" Sherman explained. "He must’ve stopped and I tried to stop and my whole groin said, ‘Snap, snap, snap, snap,’ and I said, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa.’”

The game had gotten fast-paced, as Sherman said that the Philadelphia Eagles were in hurry-up offense, making things that much worse. 

“At that moment, I was like yeah, this is probably my last year. I don’t got it for these young dudes right now," Sherman said.

Sherman appeared in just five games with the Buccaneers, starting in three of them. He snagged one interception and had one pass deflection in that time. At 33 years old, Sherman couldn't guard players like Smith, who was a rookie at the time.

It wasn't just Sherman who struggled guarding Smith, though, as he finished his rookie season with 916 receiving yards and five touchdowns on the season. 

Sherman finished his season with 37 interceptions and three touchdown returns in his career. He deflected 116 passes in that span, too. Again, the five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro defensive back has done plenty to find his way into Canton, Ohio in the pro football Hall of Fame.

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