Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers soon add even more star power in the form of Richard Sherman?
Bucs coach Bruce Arians acknowledged Monday during a video conference that general manager Jason Licht has reached out to the veteran cornerback, who remains a free agent after spending his first seven seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and the past three with the San Francisco 49ers.
“Jason’s reached out. We’ve got to see. He’s got other things going on, too,” Arians told reporters. “Just a matter of, ‘I coach the ones that we got and let him handle the rest of that.’ We’ll kick the tires on some other guys, too. But it’s just a matter of, ‘No, we’ll talk and see, and if it’s the right fit, it’s the right fit and we’ll move on it. ‘ “
The Buccaneers’ interest in Sherman presumably stems from placing cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting on injured reserve last week. Murphy-Bunting suffered a dislocated right elbow in Tampa Bay’s season-opening win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 9.
Sherman, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, appeared in just five games during the 2020 campaign thanks to a calf injury. He’s also coming off a tumultuous offseason in which he was arrested in July on five misdemeanor charges stemming from an incident at the home of his wife’s parents.
But NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported Sunday that multiple teams, including the Buccaneers, have reached out to Sherman in recent days. The 33-year-old reportedly has dropped 15 pounds and expects to play at some point in 2021.
According to Pelissero, money is a factor in Sherman’s free agency. So, we’ll see if the Bucs are willing to fork over the cash necessary to land Sherman as they defend their Super Bowl title.
Tom Brady and Co. improved their record to 2-0 on Sunday with a 48-25 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Tampa Bay will face the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Week 3.
