Richard Sherman explains his relationship with Buccaneers Tom Brady, who recruited him to Tampa Bay

Richard Sherman is no longer a free agent. The veteran cornerback announced Wednesday that he would sign with the Buccaneers to help the team in its quest for a second consecutive Super Bowl title. 

And Tom Brady’s presence in Tampa Bay played no small part in Sherman’s decision to join the team.

Brady recruited Sherman to join the Buccaneers, as Sherman explained on PFF’s “Richard Sherman Podcast.”

“We both thought it’d be really cool if we had the opportunity to play together at some point in time. Obviously, with our situations, it didn’t seem likely,” Sherman said of playing with Brady. “But he reached out and said [the Bucs] may express interest and obviously, he wants to play with me. Then their front office reached out. The conversation started a few weeks ago when they lost their starter [Sean] Murphy-Bunting, and then it kind of steamrolled.”

Sherman noted that there was “a little haggling back and forth” as he negotiated terms with the Buccaneers. He also heard pitches from other NFC teams including the 49ers, Seahawks and Panthers while trying to determine where to play next.

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But ultimately, Sherman’s relationship with Brady coupled with the Bucs’ roster construction and Todd Bowles’ defensive scheme made going to Tampa Bay the right choice.

And Sherman wanted to make it clear that he has a good relationship with Brady.

“He’s a great guy, you know, very encouraging,” Sherman said of Brady.

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Of course, fans will remember Sherman’s beef with Brady from early in their careers. Sherman claimed that Brady was trash-talking him during a 2012 Patriots-Seahawks game and later intercepted Brady to help seal a one-point Seahawks win. Sherman later tweeted a picture of him meeting Brady after the game with the caption, “U mad bro?”

But Sherman downplayed that incident while making his announcement to join the Bucs.

“We had our history, but what happens on the field stays on the field,” Sherman said. “And off the field, I think we have a very solid relationship.”

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