Richard Sherman: Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign the veteran cornerback on one-year deal

Richard Sherman has signed a one-year deal worth $2.25 million with the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the veteran cornerback has announced.

Sherman first broke the news via his own podcast on Wednesday, with the team - who lost starting cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting to a dislocated elbow in Week One - later confirming the one-year deal.

The 33-year-old Sherman had held talks with both of his former teams, the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, but chose the Bucs 'thanks to a recruiting pitch from Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay staff'.

"I finally had enough conversations and came to a decision that I'm going to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Woo!" Sherman said. "All the craziness and then all the hate and all the tweets, and then everybody's mad because I didn't go to their team. I'm sorry."

The Bucs - keen to address a growing need in their secondary - held an in-person meeting with Sherman, who acts as his own agent, on Tuesday - his first free-agent visit since the season began.

"I went with the best offer I had, the best opportunity to go out there and put some great tape on, to lead another group," Sherman said on his podcast. "I feel comfortable and confident in my abilities to go out there and execute and help that team win. This was an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

Earlier this year, Sherman pleaded not guilty to five misdemeanor charges in mid-July following his arrest for allegedly attempting to break into his in-laws' house.

He was charged with driving under the influence, resisting arrest, endangering roadway workers and two domestic violence counts - second-degree criminal trespass and third-degree malicious mischief. Sherman has been in therapy since the incident, per NFL Network.

Sherman's first seven seasons were spent in Seattle, with whom he made two Super Bowl appearances (winning one) and grabbed 32 interceptions. He earned his three first-team All-Pro selections from 2012-14 as part of the Seahawks' 'Legion of Boom' defense.

In 2018, Sherman signed with NFC West rivals, the 49ers, and a year later made his fifth Pro Bowl as San Francisco progressed to the Super Bowl - losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. Last season he missed a career-high 11 games because of a calf injury. He recorded 18 tackles and one interception in five games before being released in February.

The Buccaneers (2-1) will face the New England Patriots (1-2) on Sunday night in Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady's highly anticipated return to Foxborough to face his former team.

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