Richard Sherman preparing for next phase in his career

The former Buccaneer is keeping his options on the table as the 2022 season approaches.

Tampa Bay has re-signed the majority of its key free agents as well as added additional talent through free agency, trades, and the recent NFL Draft. The Buccaneers roster is nearing its completion ahead of the 2022 season, though there are still a few gaps to fill, like in the tight end room with Rob Gronkowski. 

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A veteran who more than likely will not return to the franchise is former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman. After being limited to just ten games over the past two years due to a variety of injuries, Sherman is contemplating retiring from football and moving to the broadcast room for Amazon.

Sources: All-Pro CB Richard Sherman is deep in talks with Amazon for a key role in their programming this coming season. He’ll stay in shape for a possible NFL opportunity, but as of now, all eyes on his broadcasting future.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 9, 2022

In the meantime, Sherman is staying in playing shape in the event a team is interested in bringing him in for training camp. It seems as if his preference is to play for at least one more season but that opportunity might not come considering his recent stack of injuries.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought in the longtime Seattle star in late September. Sherman contributed heavily to the Buccaneers' week four win at New England and week win over Miami. In those two games, he recorded ten tackles and a fumble recovery. Sherman had 11 total tackles on the season.

Following that, he missed six of the next eight games with a hamstring injury. Sherman pulled down his lone interception of the year in a week ten win over Buffalo. Two weeks later, his season ended after he suffered an Achilles injury.

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Tampa Bay currently has ten cornerbacks under contract this upcoming season, including Carlton Davis, Sean Bunting, Jamel Dean, and rookie Zyon McCollum. That means the team likely won't be able to offer the opportunity that Sherman is looking for. With that being said, maybe he's interested in a minimum deal to contribute to a championship team as a reserve who would also be a valuable mentor to a young defensive backfield.

In 11 years, Sherman has totaled 495 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 37 interceptions, 116 pass deflections, 5 forced fumbles, 3 defensive touchdowns, and 2 safeties in 144 career games. 

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the offseason.

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