After a meeting with rookie receiver DeVonta Smith of the Philadelphia Eagles, Richard Sherman began to think about ending his career. Even though the legendary cornerback has not officially retired to this day, a comeback is highly unlikely.

For several years Richard Sherman was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

As a member of the legendary “Legion of Boom”, he won the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013 and was selected to the Pro Bowl five times.

He then moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the end of his career, where he was shown the limits by then-rookie receiver DeVonta Smith of the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 of the 2021 season.

“DeVonta ran a comeback route. I had him under control, then all of a sudden he stopped. I stopped, too, but then my groin called out loud,” the now 35-year-old Sherman told Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson’s podcast as a guest.

The coaches then asked him if he wanted to be substituted, he said. But with the Eagles playing quickly on, there was no time. “At that moment, I was thinking to myself that this is probably my last year. I couldn’t keep up with the young guys,” Sherman recounted.

Sherman not officially retired yet – but return unlikely

Smith, who is ten years younger, was drafted tenth overall by the Eagles in the 2021 draft. Although the Buccaneers won the game against the Eagles 28-22 on 14 October 2021, Sherman only played a total of six snaps that day.

In December 2021, Sherman then stood on the field for the last time in the NFL.

The cornerback’s retirement is still not official. After his comments about the encounter with DeVonta Smith, however, it seems very unlikely that Richard Sherman could return to the NFL again at some point.