Early last week, SportsLine put out odds on which team free agent cornerback Richard Sherman, a likely future Hall of Famer, would sign with. A return to the Seattle Seahawks was a +250 favorite, followed by signing with the Saints (+300), Raiders (+400) and Cowboys (+600) and a few more on the list. However, no team may want to touch Sherman in the wake of reports he was arrested early this morning in Washington for "burglary domestic violence." Sherman married his longtime girlfriend Ashley Moss in 2018.
This is a developing story, but Sherman was booked into the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle at 6:08 a.m. local time and has been denied bail. No bail obviously indicates the potential seriousness of the crime and Joe Fann of NBC Sports Northwest is reporting that the incident is being investigated as a felony. Under Washington state law, for most felonies a defendant has to be arraigned in court before a bail amount is set -- and courts in Washington weren't open at 6 a.m.
Pro Football Talk reports that "burglary domestic violence" typically refers to someone entering or refusing to leave a house or dwelling within the context of a domestic dispute. The case is sealed, so no other details were immediately available. Despite not having played for Seattle since 2017, Sherman kept a home in the area.
Update: Washington State Police also are investigating Sherman in connection to a hit and run, and damage to state Department of Transportation property. He may also have resisted arrested.
"We were made aware of an arrest last of one of our player leaders for an alleged domestic violence incident and have activated our domestic violence protocol for the protection and support of everyone involved," the NFL Players' Association said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor events closely as more facts are made available to us." Sherman is a vice president of the NFLPA.
While Sherman has been a reported headache as a teammate with the Seahawks and 49ers at times in his stellar 10-year career, this is the first alleged major off-field incident to come to light. The Richard Sherman Family Foundation's Blanket Coverage was formed in 2013 by Sherman to provide students in low-income communities with school supplies and clothing.
The five-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro and member of the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team was limited to five games in 2020 with the 49ers due to injury.
Some team was going to sign him, even if it took an injury to a current cornerback once training camp started. Now, clubs likely will wait until the legal process plays out or Sherman is cleared. He would of course be subject to potential suspension by the NFL should he sign. Commissioner Roger Goodell doesn't have to wait for the legal process to run its course to suspend players. Some owners will refuse to sign Sherman regardless now.
NFL coaches/front office types DREAD the time period in between the final mandatory minicamp in June -- although as a free agent, Sherman obviously didn't attend any team's OTAs -- and reporting to training camp in late July because that tends to be the span when most players find legal trouble in the offseason.
"Free agents are eligible to sign with any team. The league investigates any incident involving law enforcement and if there is a violation of the personal conduct policy the player would be facing discipline," the NFL said in a statement.
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