Feb 2, 2020; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman (25) reacts during Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Super Bowl LIV-San Francisco 49ers vs Kansas City Chiefs
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — Richard Sherman says it was a game against the Philadelphia Eagles that told him his career was over.
It was October 14th, 2021. Sherman was on a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meanwhile Devonta Smith was in his first season with the Birds.
Sherman said Smith barbecued him so much that Sherman knew he should retire after the season.
“I’ll never forget … DeVonta must have run this comeback, and I had him under control, you know what I mean? I was like, ‘Bang, quick jam, easy, got him under control,” Sherman said on “The Richard Sherman Podcast.
“My whole groin says, ‘Snap, snap, snap, snap.’ I said, ‘Oh, whoa. Whoa.’ And then you’re trying to guard him, chase him around, like please don’t throw him the ball.”
“Then you’re trying to guard and chasing him around and you’re like please don’t throw him the ball, please. My coach is looking at me on the sideline like, ‘Hey, you wanna come out, you wanna come out?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, but they’re in a hurry-up,’ so I’m like bailing out. At that moment I was like yeah, this is probably my last year. I don’t got it for these young dudes right here,” Sherman said.
Sherman was 33 at the time. He played only one more game that season and that was in Week 14. The cornerback called it a career after that.
Meanwhile, Smith has been barbecuing people since entering the league. The 23-year-old set the Eagles rookie receiving record with 916 yards and followed that up with 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
