Richard Sherman is returning to the Bay Area.
Sherman and the San Francisco 49ers agreed on a three-year deal Saturday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport says the deal is worth $39 million, with a $5 million signing bonus.
News of his agreement with the Niners comes a day after he was released by the Seattle Seahawks.
Sherman, who played college ball at Stanford in nearby Palo Alto, Calif., visited with San Francisco on Saturday and then set up a visit with the Detroit Lions. The news of his visit with the Lions going public may have swayed the 49ers to sweeten their contract offer.
Even though Sherman is recovering from a torn Achilles, this seems to be a major win for the 49ers. Not only are they getting a major cornerback, but their division rival is losing one. This is a big addition for San Francisco at a time when Seattle is transitioning on defense.
The Niners also have beefed up in order to keep up with the Rams, who have added Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib via trades.
