Veteran defensive back Richard Sherman is back with an NFL team after going unsigned in free agency last offseason.
The three-time All-Pro cornerback announced on his podcast that he's signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The team later confirmed the news.
Sherman had been linked to the Bucs in recent days, and on Tuesday was reported to have been scheduled for a workout with the team.
The 33-year-old former Seahawks and 49ers standout said the Bucs presented "the best opportunity" for him.
“I went with the best offer I had, the best opportunity to go out there and put some tape on, to lead another group,” Sherman said, per Pro Football Talk. “I feel comfortable and confident in my abilities to go out there and execute and help that team win."
He also noted that Bucs quarterback Tom Brady had personally recruited him to Tampa Bay, and called it "an opportunity I couldn't pass up."
The Buccaneers were said to be looking for depth in the defensive backfield amid a spate of injuries, including when Sean Murphy-Bunting was lost to an elbow injury early in the team's Week 1 win over the Cowboys.
The free-agent market for Sherman never seemed to materialize after he was limited to just five games with the Niners in 2020. His situation seemed even less clear after his July arrest in Washington for an alleged drunk driving incident that led to a domestic disturbance at his in-laws' house. He was later charged with several misdemeanors.
Sherman was reported to have been struggling with depression and alcohol abuse since last year. He apologized for the arrest incident and recently said he wanted a second shot.
On the podcast, he said the Seahawks, 49ers, and Panthers had interest in signing him, which seems to comport with previous reporting.
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