Richard Sherman Admits He Avoided Lions in Free Agency Because They Treat the Game Like New England

After the dissolution of the Legion of Boom and his release from the Seattle Seahawks because of a ruptured Achilles, Richard Sherman's status as an elite cornerback was in jeopardy.

After getting offers from the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers, Sherman signed a three-year deal with the Niners, betting on himself to bounce back in a big way. It worked, and Sherman is once again an All-Pro cornerback and is returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2014.

The 31-year-old explained his decision to join the Niners instead of the Lions during Super Bowl media day, suggesting that Detroit treats football similarly to the Patriots, and that's not how he wants to play the game.

Sherman wanted to avoid the "Patriots' way" in Detroit. Lions head coach Matt Patricia is a product of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, having worked under him for 14 years before taking the Lions' job in 2018.

The cornerback said he doesn't enjoy a tense environment that the "Patriots' way" produces, despite being offered $20 million more from the Lions. Not only that, but he said he didn't believe they had a winning team. He said, "Hey, I can get this $20 million guaranteed and be in Detroit and lose football games. Or I can go to a place I really believe we can win."

Sherman's gamble has paid dividends, as not only will he compete for a Lombardi Trophy on Sunday, but he can also relish in the fact that the Lions are still among the league's bottom feeders.