Dec 6, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the Vikings 38-7. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

Seahawks great Richard Sherman appreciates landing among top NFL players of last 25 years

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Matt Urben | Last updated May 16, 2025 2:30 PM ET

Few positions in the NFL are tougher to play than cornerback, and the Seattle Seahawks were fortunate to have one of the best to ever do it in "Legion of Boom" legend Richard Sherman. What made Sherman so great was his ability to make opposing wide receivers disappear.

The three-time All-Pro made his share of splash plays as well (37 career interceptions), but his impact went well beyond the numbers. Pro Football Focus listed Sherman as a starting cornerback on the All-PFF Team, which was compiled of the best players at each position over the last 25 years.

"Sherman is the highest-graded cornerback of the PFF era, both overall and in coverage (95.2)," wrote PFF's Jonathon Macri. "He was the league's top-graded cornerback three times (2012, 2013 and 2019) in his illustrious career. Typical coverage stats don’t always do Sherman’s performance justice, as offenses did their best to avoid him in the passing game."

Sherman approved of the ranking and appreciated PFF's nuanced look at his NFL career. "Always appreciate when the numbers tell the story," he posted on social media.

Always appreciate when the numbers tell the story. https://t.co/FIKKap7vwh
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) May 16, 2025

The Seahawks probably wouldn't have made it to two Super Bowls without Sherman, whose consistency was praised by PFF.

"When he ranked in the top 10 in coverage snaps in a season, he ranked in the top 25 in coverage targets only once (2012). And he never placed in the top 50 in targets when playing a top-10 snap count. His career yards allowed per coverage snap figure (0.78) ranks as the second-best mark in the PFF era among 137 qualifying cornerbacks."

The Seahawks selected Sherman in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft but quickly realized they had a star on their hands when he pulled down four interceptions during his rookie season. The former Stanford standout routinely used his big frame to aggravate opposing wideouts.

Sherman spent seven seasons with the Seahawks (2011-2017), recording 32 interceptions and 99 passes defended before leaving for San Francisco in 2018. He made his fifth Pro Bowl in 2019 as a member of the 49ers.

Despite spending three years in San Francisco and one season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sherman will always be a Seahawks legend for his ability to show up each and every week during the most successful run in franchise history.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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