In one of the hottest NFL rumors of the offseason yet, a major cornerback appears poised to be leaving the only team he knows. And the subject himself might be responsible for those rumors!
Richard Sherman's relationship with the Seattle Seahawks has become a bit more contentious in recent years. Nevertheless, he's a veteran leader on a team that's hovered around the contention tier for some time. The fact that his time with the team may be ending so suddenly is shocking. That's just the way of the modern NFL, though.
Sherman tips his hand
A text message received by cornerback Jeremy Lane started the rumor mill.
The Seahawks cornerback tweeted about receiving a message relating to Sherman that he found personally upsetting.
That text message got my heart hurting ... damn 25 was my Dawg #WhatsNext
— jeremy lane (@StayingInMyLane) March 7, 2018
It wasn't immediately clear whether or not that text actually came from Sherman himself. Regardless, the story only gained steam from there. Soon, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was reporting on the cornerback's imminent departure from the team.
#Seahawks CB Richard Sherman has told teammates goodbye over the past 24 hours, sources say, and that he won’t be on the team. Those close to him say nothing is set in stone and there has been no official word. But clearly bears watching.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 7, 2018
Since that report, its become clear that nothing has happened to affect Sherman's status in Seattle -- yet.
It appears that the team will almost certainly explore options regarding their cornerback, whether via the trade market or flat-out cutting him from the roster.
An ESPN feature from last season divulged Sherman's frustration with the team since their infamous Super Bowl defeat to the New England Patriots. There have been trade rumors shipping him out of the Pacific Northwest since last offseason.
For a time, it seemed as if he could be a member of the Miami Dolphins before this past season.
His time in Seattle, however, may finally be coming to an end in the coming weeks.
Seahawks making moves
While the Sherman rumors rose in prominence, Seattle was just getting to work on Wednesday. They swung a trade to move key cog Michael Bennett to the Philadelphia Eagles for a wide receiver prospect and a draft pick.
Early evaluations suggest it wasn't a high yield for the team. Bennett seemed excited to be changing his NFL future, though, shouting out to a Philadelphia icon on Twitter.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🎟🏅🏅🏅🏅 free meek mill pic.twitter.com/RgpOme044m
— Michael Bennett (@mosesbread72) March 7, 2018
This very much seems like the start of a rebuild for the Seattle Seahawks. How it will affect the prime of quarterback Russell Wilson's career remains to be seen. But the NFL is going to have a much different look in the Pacific Northwest next season, with the outspoken Bennett gone and Richard Sherman possibly soon to follow.
