Cornerback Richard Sherman signed a three-year contract for a reported $39.15 million with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
The former All-Pro corner was cut by the Seattle Seahawks Friday.
Sherman, who conducted his own negotiations in his brief free agency, said other teams that showed interest included Tennessee, Houston, Oakland, Detroit, Green Bay and Tampa Bay. But he did not stay on the market long enough to hear many other offers.
San Francisco is an NFC West rival of the Seahawks, so Sherman will twice in 2018 face the team that drafted him.
Sherman had said he wanted to play for a contender, so the choice of the 49ers is especially curious. Though the team went 6-10 a year ago, it was boosted by a five-game winning streak to complete the regular season. After trading for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo midseason and starting him in December, the Niners won all five games in that final month.
Seattle also cut cornerback Jeremy Lane and traded defensive end Michael Bennett during the week, beginning to dismantle the defense that led the team to win Super Bowl XLVIII.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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