Richard Sherman is gearing up for Super Bowl LIV with the San Francisco 49ers, but that wouldn’t be the case had he made a different decision as a free agent back in 2018.
So, why did Sherman elect to take his talents to the Bay Area? He didn’t want to play football “the Patriot Way.”
During free agency prior to the 2018 season, the Detroit Lions offered the cornerback more money than the 49ers, according to The Athletic’s David Lombardi. However, Sherman turned down the offer in part because of the team’s new head coach: former New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Patricia joined the Lions after a 14-year stint with the Patriots, which included New England defeating Sherman and the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. Although Patriots’ success speaks for itself, the cornerback was not interested in the approach to the game Patricia was bringing to the Lions.
“But that’s not the kind of football I want to play,” Sherman said, per Lombardi. “The way you run their scheme, your culture. You want to do it the Patriots’ way and that’s really not the way I do football.
“I have fun. I like music at practice. I like to hang out and be relaxed in meetings. I don’t like the stressful environment in football. (The Lions) condition every day after practice. My body isn’t built to run all day and night. I’ll be prepared, but I don’t have to be run into the ground.”
One could argue “the Patriot Way,” which has helped produce six Super Bowl championships, nine AFC championships and 17 AFC East titles since 2000 is “fun.” But regardless, Sherman’s decision to steer clear of the Lions resulted in an appearance in Super Bowl LIV alongside former Patriot Jimmy Garappolo, who will help lead San Francisco against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Lions, meanwhile, are 9-22-1 under Patricia.
