Richard Sherman Podcast - Why Seahawks PAID Jaxon Smith-Njigba $42M, 49ers-Trent Duffy drama, OBJ next team | Richard Sherman

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: Richard Sherman Podcast - Why Seahawks PAID Jaxon Smith-Njigba $42M, 49ers-Trent Duffy drama, OBJ next team
Date: March 30, 2026
Host: Colin Cowherd (iHeartPodcasts and The Volume)
Guests: Richard Sherman, Mitchell (Podcast Host)

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Overview

This episode of The Herd dives deep into the blockbuster offseason developments in the NFL, focusing on the record-setting extension for Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($42M/year), the ripple effects on the roster, the financial strategies guiding the Seahawks, and the cap drama surrounding the 49ers and Trent Williams. Richard Sherman brings insider perspective as a former player and current rising media talent. The show also touches on flag football’s rise and future, plus Odell Beckham Jr.’s free agency prospects.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Historic Seahawks Extension

[02:15–09:03]

• Sherman breaks down the context: JSN becomes the NFL's highest-paid WR at $42.15M/year, but the deal averages $32M/year across its lifetime—a great value for an ascending Offensive Player of the Year.
• Seattle’s WR core now among the league’s best-paid:
  • Rashid Shaheed at $17M/year
  • Cooper Kupp at $15M/year
  • Jake Bobo re-signed
  • High expectations accompany this level of investment

“When you get paid like Shaheed, and like Cooper Kupp, and like Jaxon just got paid, now the expectations and the criticisms... start to ramp up. But I think they're ready for it.” — Richard Sherman [02:54]

• Sherman highlights the transformation: Last year, JSN was a slot receiver; now he’s the centerpiece after taking “the bull by the horns.”

“If you would have told me a year later, we'd be talking about the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and Jaxon Smith-Njigba... being named the highest-paid player and receiver in the National Football League, I would've called you crazy...” — Richard Sherman [04:27]

• Mitchell addresses the shifting WR market: As cap space grows, each extension resets the financial landscape for receivers.

2. Cap Management: Seahawks’ Roster Strategy

[09:03–12:07]

• Sherman on financial tradeoffs:
  • Paying stars like JSN leads to letting role players (Kenneth Walker, Boye Mafe, Coby Bryant) walk
  • Emphasis on drafting/developing depth and trusting next-man-up mentality

“Some say it kills the middle class in the National Football League. But I think John Schneider’s doing an incredible job... you got to draft well, you got to trust your depth... that's why you train the next guy.” — Richard Sherman [09:10]

• Window for contention remains open: With Mike Macdonald’s system and star power, Seattle is positioned for another Super Bowl run.

3. Seahawks’ Front Office Moves: Trades & Depth

[15:10–19:56]

• Mitchell credits GM John Schneider:
  • Trading away DK Metcalf and Geno Smith created financial flexibility
  • Smart drafting (e.g., OL Gray Zable) and re-signings (Jake Bobo) strengthen cultural and on-field foundation

“He's aced the last three years, four years. That's why they're in the position they are, because he's drafted really well. Made really shrewd trades...” — Richard Sherman [15:59]

• Sherman on Jake Bobo:
  • He’s a glue-guy, vital on special teams and in the locker room

“He does the dirty work. ...Some guys are for the culture, for the culture of the team. ...He’s one of those nuts and bolts guys.” — Richard Sherman [17:30]

• The Devin Witherspoon contract question:
  • Following Rams' market-resetting deal for McDuffie
  • Sherman expects another record-setting deal, but advises negotiating early for cap flexibility

“If you get it done early enough, then the years after the deal are the market setter... Again, I think he's going to get a deal, a record setting deal, no question about it.” — Richard Sherman [19:03]

4. NFL Economics: The Franchise Tag Decline

[19:56–21:49]

• Mitchell asks why fewer teams use the franchise tag
• Sherman suggests:
  • Teams like Seattle value long-term stability
  • Franchise tags restrict cap flexibility—extensions can be structured to minimize dead money

“The Seahawks just want more long-term stability... they've done a fantastic job, they're the lowest team in dead money... because [Schneider] has been incredibly shrewd in the way he's done contracts.” — Richard Sherman [20:17]

5. Sherman’s Emmy Nomination

[23:25–25:20]

• Mitchell congratulates Richard Sherman for his Emmy nomination (Emerging On-Air Talent)
• Sherman expresses gratitude:
  • Credits the Thursday Night Football team for their hard work and collaboration

“It’s incredibly humbling... it's just a testament to the product and the team we have at Thursday Night Football... an amazing team.” — Richard Sherman [24:06]

6. San Francisco 49ers Cap Drama: Trent Williams Situation

[25:27–27:42]

• Update:
  • 49ers decline Trent Williams’ $10M option; absorb the cap hit this year
  • A move to get away from dead money issues from previous contracts
  • Both sides want Williams to stay, but negotiation leverage is shifting as the offseason progresses

“They’ve gotten frustrated... with the dead money situation... They're trying to get away from that... Both sides want Trent Williams in San Francisco.” — Richard Sherman [26:09]

7. Flag Football: NFL vs. Team USA

[27:42–32:31]

• Mitchell references recent flag football event:
  • NFL players struggled against Team USA
  • Sherman explains: skill sets, rules, and body types don't always translate from tackle football to flag

“Linebackers have no business in flag football... it's a different game. ...The guys who make the best NFL players won’t always make the best flag football players.” — Richard Sherman [29:12]

• NFL stars need practice and right personnel:

  • Quick, agile players (e.g., Tyreek Hill, Lamar Jackson) suited for flag football
  • “It’s not one of those things that comes easy or naturally to guys.” — Richard Sherman [31:38]

• Mitchell draws fighting analogy:

  • “What you just explained... is what, in the fighting community, is the difference between MMA and boxing.” [32:40]

8. OBJ’s Free Agency Prospects

[32:39–34:13]

• Mitchell notes Odell Beckham Jr.’s standout flag football play
• Sherman believes:
  • Teams still value OBJ if healthy—can contribute in a secondary role
  • Similar applies to veterans like DeAndre Hopkins; “they’re just football players”

“Are they what they used to be in their prime? No... but are they quality football players still? Yeah, I think so. And I think they can have a role.” — Richard Sherman [33:55]

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Notable Quotes

• “When you get paid…now the expectations and the criticisms that come with those expectations start to ramp up. But I think they’re ready for it.” — Richard Sherman [02:54]
• “If you would have told me a year later we’d be talking about the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and JSN…being named the highest-paid player and receiver in the National Football League, I would have called you crazy…” — Richard Sherman [04:27]
• “He does the dirty work…for the culture of the team…he’s one of those nuts and bolts guys.” — Richard Sherman (on Jake Bobo) [17:30]
• “Some say it kills the middle class in the National Football League…but you got to draft well, you got to trust your depth... next man up mentality.” — Richard Sherman [09:10]
• “Linebackers have no business in flag football…you got to respect the guys that play that game and the way they play that game.” — Richard Sherman [29:14]
• “Are they what they used to be in their prime? No… but are they quality football players still? Yeah, I think so.” — Richard Sherman (on OBJ and Hopkins) [33:55]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:15] JSN’s Extension and Seahawks WR Core
• [09:03] Impact of Cap Allocation on Seahawks Roster
• [15:10] John Schneider’s Roster Management, Seattle’s Culture
• [17:30] Jake Bobo’s Value to the Team
• [19:03] Devin Witherspoon’s Future Deal
• [19:56] Why Teams Use Fewer Franchise Tags
• [23:25] Sherman’s Emmy Nomination
• [25:27] 49ers, Trent Williams, and Cap Management
• [27:42] NFL Players vs. Team USA in Flag Football
• [32:39] OBJ’s Next Team: Health and Role

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Final Thoughts

This episode provided a comprehensive look at NFL team-building from the inside, insightful contract/cap management perspectives, and strong analysis of how evolving league economics are impacting rosters and star negotiations. Richard Sherman’s authentic insights, both as an ex-player and rising analyst, lend depth and relatability to the discussion, making it a must-listen for football fans who want to understand the deeper mechanics of the game off the field.

Transcript

[Bob Pittman]

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Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

Yes.

[Richard Sherman]

Which. Which, by the way, wasn't Taylor Swift who said that for the first time. I actually, I thought it was. I got that wrong.

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[Richard Sherman]

And we're back. All off season long. We're going to give you free agency, NFL draft and everything else that's going on in this incredible NFL off season. Stick with us. Be here Hit that sub button if you're new and also notification game so you can be notified when everything's going down. Appreciate you. Welcome back to the Rich German podcast and another eventful week in the off season. Jackson, Smith and Jigba becomes the highest paid receiver in, in the National Football League's illustrious history at $42.15 million per year. The Seahawks did a great job getting this deal done early enough that it only looks like $32 million a year if you, if you do it over the lifetime of the deal, which is an absolute bargain for a receiver that just won Offensive Player of the year is only trending up, only going to continue to grow rapport and relationship with Sam Darnold and continue to thrive. I think this is, this, this receiving core now. It's a well paid receiving core, Mitchell, but with Jackson, Smith and Jigbat 42.15 million a year. You got Shaheed at 17 a year, you got Cooper cup at $15 million a year. And then you, they match Bobo's deal to bring him back. They're gonna have to produce. That's. That's for sure. Now you, you know, it's, it's, it's always nice when you win and you do crazy things and you do great things and the expectations aren't there that there's not a huge burden of expectation. But when you, when you get paid, when you get paid like Shahid and like Cooper cup and, and like Jackson just got paid now the expectations and the criticisms that come with those expectations start to ramp up. But I think they're ready for it. I think they're, they're poised to have another fantastic year. They're not going to surprise anybody this year. I'm not going to have to go to training camp and come back and get on this podcast and say, hey, Mitchell, they look great because everybody knows what they look like. They just won the Super Bowl. This is a great deal for the team. I think this, this helps them long term. I think they're going to do the same thing with Devin Witherspoon. I don't see any reason why they wouldn't get a deal done there. But this is, this is incredible. And, and Jackson seems to be ready to, to repeat his energies, right? His mindset's right. He's the right, he's built the right stuff. So I'm looking forward to, to seeing them thrive even more this season with, with the burden of expectations they'll have on them after, after last year, you know, about this same time Last year we're talking about, you know, them getting rid of Gino, them trading DK Metcalf and all the things that, that happened that season. If you, if you would have told me a year later we'd be talking about the super bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and Jackson Smith and Jigba coming off offensive player of the year season being named the highest paid player and receiver in the National Football League. I would have called you crazy just because at that point he was the number, you know, two, three receiver. He was mostly used in the slot. Just hadn't shown, I mean he, he'd shown ability obviously in college. He had a 300 yard game, but he hadn't been given the opportunity to showcase his ability in the way that he was this year. And he, you, you talk about a guy just taking the bull by the horns and that's exactly what he did. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock bet Florida Sports Book. We talk a lot about football on this show, but it's March and you know that college basketball takes center stage.

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[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

Richard, this is a big day for Jackson, Smith and Jigba and he's one of those guys. Clearly he's all football. When asked, you know you want offensive player of the year, you won the Super Bowl. Now that he's the highest paid wide receiver in the league, what are you going to do next? His response was one Super Bowl. What's better than one Super Bowl?

[Richard Sherman]

Two.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

So Richard Seattle is obviously getting a pro here, a pros pro. He's well worth the money and I know the money on its face seems like a lot, but the money on its face seemed like a lot a few years ago. But I remember when the Lions re signed, I'm on Ross St. Brown and gave him $30 million a year and all of a sudden that became the next 30 threshold for receivers. Now that 40 million dollar mark is that next threshold. So the, the receivers getting paid after him, Puka, Nakua, you know, we'll see. I don't know the other big names. I know George Pickens just got franchise, I know he won't be in that, that tier. But I would expect some of these guys to be making some eye popping numbers that make fans, you know, wonder what the heck is going on. But that's just the nature of the beast. As the cap space goes up, these margins go up a lot higher for these skill positions. But ultimately you, you alluded to it throughout our off season talk, Richard, and we were looking at, you know, how Seattle was positioning themselves in free agency and obviously they let a little bit of their depth walk, they let Kenneth Walker walk, they let Bowie Mafi walk, they let kobe Bryant walk, etc. You know, all for this reason because they got to pay the big man in the room and that's jsn, you know, Richard, break it down for fans so they can better understand, you know, the financial ramifications of offloading this much cap space onto a team and what it does, the trickle down effect that it has on the rest of the roster.

[Richard Sherman]

You know, some say it kills the, the middle class in the National Football League. But I think John Snyder's doing an incredible job. He did an incredible job of getting this deal done early. So, you know, I know it's highest paid in the history of the game, but then you, you look at it over the next six years, it's $32 million a year, which is a very reasonable price for a receiver. And it's in line with other receivers in, in the league. You look at George Pickens getting the franchise tag, I think he's going to be looking at 31, 32 million dollars a year. Once he gets off of that, I think it's going to be fine. But this is the exact reason you, you can't keep a, a good player like Kobe Bryant, you can't keep a Super Bowl MVP like Kenneth Walker. And, and you got to draft well, you got to draft well. You got to trust your depth. You got to trust the guys you sign in free agency that they can pick up the slack. I know they feel good about Taya Cotta in terms of what he can do in Kobe Bryant's did. Obviously, they have a lot of love and respect for Kobe Bryant and he's going to be fantastic in Chicago. But that's why you draft well. That's why you got to trust your depth. That's why you train the next guy. That's why it's always next man up mentality. Because when you have guys playing at an All Pro, you know, offensive player to year type level, you're going to have to pay them. You're going to have to pay Devin Witherspoon, and when you pay Devin Witherspoon, then it means you're going to expect more. You're going to have to lean on those guys more because you're not able to pay everybody else as much. So you know it. That's what, what happened in San Francisco. When you're paying your best players, it's fine. But when you pay your best players and the guy, your guys you're playing aren't on the field, then it's very difficult to win in the National Football League. And so it, this is going to work out fine. I think their window is wide open. I think they have a great chance to run it back. Mike McDonald's system works. I don't think the NFL has caught up to it. Obviously, they're still looking for answers. But when you, when you have a full all season to study a team and to study a defense, they're going to be looking for the few weaknesses that they can expose and try to force him to adjust. That's the part of being a great team and being at the top of the mountain. That's, that's a little frustrating because everybody's studying you. Everybody's trying to figure out how to beat you and, and create the next championship dynasty. And can this team be a dynasty? I, I believe so. I believe so. Because they have something, they have a repeatable system. You know, it's not like anything they did was incredibly difficult to replicate. You know, they, they ran the ball well at times. Sam Darnold, I think will be better this year than he was last year. He had 20 turnovers during the season, which was among the league leaders, and then didn't turn the ball over once in a playoff. So again, if he plays at the level that he played in the playoffs throughout the entire season, this is a juggernaut of a team, a very difficult team, a very difficult out for any team in the NFC or the afc.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

And you alluded to it, too.

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On the Cino show podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience, and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor cultural icon Danny Trejo to talk about addiction, transformation and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to binge, featuring powerful conversations with the guests like Tiffany Adish, Johnny Knoxville, and more.

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[Daniel Jeremiah]

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[Greg Rosenthal]

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[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

Another thing that this team really has is a really game killer at general manager and John Schneider. All right, Last off season, he kind of stuck his neck on the line trading DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some folks kind of looked and wondered, you know, what's the plan here? Obviously, getting rid of Geno. I mean, in hindsight, both of those moves allowed them to make a move like this and extending JSN because, you know, DK Metcalf's another guy making $33 million a year. So you free up that cap space to be able to keep jsn and it's an addition by subtraction kind of thing. You're giving D JSN a lot more opportunity there and clearly proved he was that guy. You know, is there anything that you looked off of last off season that should have been done differently for John Schneider and these Seahawks, or do you think he just grade A, aced it?

[Richard Sherman]

I mean, he's aced the last three years, four years. That's why they're in the position they are, because he's drafted really well. They've made really shrewd trades that have benefited them in a big way. They've taken care of the positions that you got to take care of, which are. Which is offensive line and defensive line. You know, it's not sexy to draft a guard in the first round, but when you do, you solidify your offensive line in an incredible way and you solidify the culture of your offensive line. And that's what they brought in with Gray Zable. I mean, he. You just hear how the guys in the building talk about him and how he's changed things and, and brought them together and. And certain things. He's forced them to hang out and be together because that's all he knows. You know, he's one of those old school cut offensive lineman that's like, hey, we got to sit there and we got to drink beer together. We got to hang out. We got to be around each other. Hey, this is not a. It's not a. A glamorous job, but goddamn it, somebody got to do it.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

You got to love to have those guys on the team. Richard, another low key move that this team made this week is they, they resigned Jake Bobo and, and I know Bobo filled in and had a pretty decent role with this team as a, a reserve wide receiver. He certainly made a name for himself in the preseason. How much do you think the Seattle Seahawks like this guy? I mean, what do you really think he brings to the team? I know there was a lot of criticism, you know, with this 40 time and all that stuff and he put a lot of those fears to bed this past year. But what do you think Jake Bobo and his resigning means to this team?

[Richard Sherman]

It means a ton. You know, in a lot of phases he does, he does the dirty work. You know, he's just one of those blue collar guys who brings his lunch bell every day and goes to work. He's a guy that makes an incredible impact on special teams, but at receiver he has plays, he has moments where, where he, he's a factor and he's not going to get, you know, 100 targets or anything like that. But some guys are for the culture, for the culture of the team. You know, those are the guys, the, the nuts and bolts guys. And he's one of those guys that, that are, are a glue guy and really help hold this team together in critical moments that you really don't notice until those moments come up and you're like, oh man, look at Bobo just scored a touchdown in, in the playoffs. And you're like, you might have, he might have had 15 catches the whole year and he scored a touchdown in the playoffs. And, and again, he's reliable where he needs to be, there's no complaints and he's a just a do right guy and you need those.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

Richard, the, the one question we have coming up next, and the big question for the Seattle Seahawks is what to do with Devin Witherspoon. We just saw McDuffie get paid an exorbitant amount of money by the LA Rams after being traded over from the Kansas City Chiefs. Setting a new market at corner after this JSN move. You know, what do you do with Devin Witherspoon? Do you re up him and what do you anticipate he makes, you know, during his extension? Is he another guy that you would set the market with? Again, how would you handle this situation if you're John Schneider?

[Richard Sherman]

I mean you, you would try not to set the market, but again, if you get it done early enough, then the years after the deal are the market setter. So say he gets 31, 32 million dollars a year over the the next four years and they, they do it this year. Again, when you have a couple years left on your deal, when you have a year or two left on your deal, it makes a big difference. And, and I think when you look at it over the lifetime of the deal, it looks like a much more reasonable deal. So again, I think he's going to get a deal, a record setting deal, no question about it. I think John Snyder is being very smart about how he does these things and, and why he's doing it so early. To give him flexibility down the road and again allow him to continue to draft well, continue to, to, to replenish the, the cupboard, but also keep his guys happy, keep his best players happy.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

Why do you think there's been a movement away from teams like the Seattle Seahawks franchising players? Because you know a lot of fans when you, you hear the talk, you know, specifically in a running back market, like why wouldn't you just franchise tag a guy like Kenneth Walker? What's, why is it that we're not seeing as many teams franchise tag guys, do you think?

[Richard Sherman]

Yeah, I, I don't really have a great answer for this because each team's philosophy is so different. But I, I think the Seahawks just want more long term stability and I think that's the way John Snyder is thinking about things. He's thinking about the long term future. I mean a one year franchise tag, it puts more guaranteed money on, on the books that you, you can't manipulate, you can't push forward, you can't do anything like that. And they've done a fantastic job. They, they're the lowest team in dead money. The lowest dead money team in the National Football League. Lowest amount of dead money. And the reason is because he's been incredibly shrewd in the way he's done contracts. And I don't think he wants to be in a situation where he can't have flexibility even if it's just for a year with the running back position and to pay a number that he's not comfortable with. Because if you're, even if you're paying top num. Top dollar, if you got voidable years, if you got structured the way you structure it, you still have some flexibility. But in a franchise tag there's very little. A solid wardrobe really comes down to a few pieces that actually work and hold up. That's why I've been rocking with Quint lately.

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[Richard Sherman]

Yeah, it's the kind of stuff you mix, match and wear year round without overthinking it.

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[Richard Sherman]

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[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

And people, their customers, they back it up. Thousands of reviews, Richard, like 4.5 to 5 stars across the board. Plus they only work with factories that meet serious standards for craftsmanship and ethical production.

[Richard Sherman]

Man, those linen shorts have become my go to. They don't wrinkle like cheap linen and they pretty much go with everything. Plus they don't cost a fortune.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

The cashmere sweater, I wear it way more than I expected. It looks clean, feels comfortable, feels premium, but it's actually affordable. Stop over complicating your wardrobe. You don't need a ton of options. You just need a few pieces that actually work.

[Richard Sherman]

Right now, go to quints.com forward/Richard. For free shipping and 365 day returns. That's a full year to build out your wardrobe, make sure you love it. And they're now available in Canada too. Don't keep settling. For clothes that don't last, go to q u I n c e.com/Richard. For free shipping and 365 day returns, quince.comforward/Richard.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

Richard, we got to take a little detour from football talk and we're going to talk a little bit about you because for all of our listeners out there, I don't know if you've heard my guy right here. Richard Sherman was just nominated for an Emmy. Emerging on air talent. Richard Sherman, Emmy nominee. You know, Richard, talk a little bit about how much it means to you to be nominated for something like this for the Emmy? Obviously, you were a hell of a football player. You began working in the media shortly after retirement and you've been kicking ass. What does it mean to you to be named as a nominee for an Emmy at this stage, this early on in your media career?

[Richard Sherman]

Well, it's incredibly humbling and it, it means a ton. But it's just a testament to the, the product and, and the team we have at Thursday night football. It's such a joy to come to work every Day to work with Carissa, Tony Fitz, Witt Taylor, you know, the, the entire staff. If there's so many incredible people behind the scenes putting in work, making sure we're in a position. Amina, Spoon, Kaiser, you know, the, the higher ups, the execs, J. Marine and, and you know, it's just so many people on these teams that do a phenomenal job. Mariano, of making sure that we have an incredible product. We're, we're prepared, everything is running, everything's where it's supposed to be. My guy, bk, making sure, you know, whether it's the graphics or, or making sure, you know, they're, they're, they're switching to the right channel or they're switching to the right scene or the next camera, etc. Etc. And it's, you know, Chris is obviously the glue that holds everything together. So I'm just grateful to be a part of such an amazing team and, and to be nominated for an Emmy is, is, is a really cool deal, but it's just more of a testament to the, the entire product that we get to put out there every week. And it's a joy to do it.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

Well, I'm excited to see you win it. Like I said, you have my vote, Rich. You got my vote. Let's talk a little bit.

[Richard Sherman]

That's what matters.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

Yes, sir. Let's talk a little bit about these San Francisco 49ers. You know, the big news in San Francisco right now is what's going on with Trent Williams. You know, obviously he's entering the last year his contract, he's got a huge cap hit. The 49ers declined his $10 million option, which basically moves that $10 million into his current base salary. You know, the option was in there to give them some flexibility if they wanted to extend that out for three more void years. So they're choosing to take the cap hit all up front this year. What do you, what do you make of the strategy here? What do you think John lynch in this is positioning himself in this team for.

[Richard Sherman]

To be, to continue to be a very competitive football team. I think they've gotten frustrated not with Trent Williams, but just with the dead money situation that they've run into year after year after year. I think they've been, you know, amongst the, the top dead money teams for the last few years because of Javon Hargraves contract, Debo Samuel, you know, so many guys that they've had to part ways with for, for whatever reason, but they're trying to get away from that So I don't think they want to, to, to throw more dead money into the future. I think they're trying to, to take their licks now, I don't think. But again, I haven't talked to John or Kyle, but I don't, I, I obviously don't see them getting rid of Trent Williams. Trent feels like he has a tremendous amount of leverage. Obviously, the longer these negotiations go on, the less leverage I think Trent has, because teams are going to spend the money. They're going to spend the money, they're going to get pay guys. They're gonna start to plan for next year. They're going to start to think, hey, this situation's done, and teams can't just create $30 million in, in cap out of nowhere. You know, some teams can, but the contenders usually have a tight cap situation. So, you know, I, I, I think this situation is going to get rectified, but obviously it's, it's been a bit of a distraction this offseason. But both sides want to be here. Both sides want to want Trent Williams in San Francisco, and that's something I believe, and I think that's what's going to ultimately happen.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

Well, this is not the same situation from last year with Brandon Iuk. I think Trent Williams, like you said, really wants to be there. The reality is he is getting up there in age. You know, his career is probably coming to a close here in the next few years. I'm sure he wants to make as much money as possible, and I'm sure that 49ers want him at left tackle for the foreseeable future here. Richard, we got to talk a little flag football over the weekend, and you kind of talked about, I don't know how much we've actually talked about it on this podcast, but you and I have talked about it separately. And I remember asking you, I said, I mean, I feel like NFL players would go and just demolish Team usa. And you said, I don't know if that's the case because there's a lot of different rules at play. And clearly we saw that all play out in real time. You saw these guys doing, like, wrestling knee crawl moves, avoiding defenders, and just doing these fake spin moves and just all over the place. And yet we've got former and current NFL players that are just getting diced up by these guys. Maybe Team USA and Team USA flag football has made us all believers. Now. Do you think there's any situation where if the NFL stars were to truly give it their all in practice, this By NFL or by the flag football rules and you learn the strategy. Do you think, you know, given a little bit of time, they might be able to put up a better fight here?

[Richard Sherman]

What, what. No question about it. This man, I'm, I, it's exactly what I thought would happen. I, I thought, I thought it would be worse than what it was because it's such a different game. And for them that put actual linebackers out there was in insane. I mean you don't put. Linebackers have no business in flag football. Their, their entire build is to stop runs and be physical and that has no place in flag football. So your middle linebacker is, is going to be like a nickel. It's going to be like a nickel. He's quick, agile, you know, maybe a taller nickel. Maybe you, you get somebody like Kyle Hamilton who can be good in space, but there's no place for bigger guys. And even the superstar guys that you're looking for, the, the, you know, you, Jameer Gibbs would be great. I think K9 would be great in flag football. I think, I think Tyreek Hill would be fantastic. Not, it wouldn't necessarily be the guys that make the best NFL players to play football, flag football. You know, it's. Sometimes it'd be the guy who is. The guy who is an off season, like, you know, T shirt warrior, you know, the T shirt and shorts, you know, superstar. Those would make great flag football players. They don't always translate into the best physical football players, but it's also a different game. And you, you got to respect the guys that, that play that game and the way they play that game. And, and some people would ask me before they were like, oh man, they're gonna. NFL is going to send the team to the Olympics. I said, I don't see very many NFL players being on the roster at all. Now again, Jameer Gibbs, K9, you know, guys that are dynamic and, and short area quickness and some of these scat. Little small jitterbug receivers, sure, I think McDuffie would do well in this sense, you know, but do I, do I think every corner, every elite corner that we have would do well in this, in this game? No, I don't. Because again, taking flags isn't the same as tackling. You can track somebody down to tackle them, you can, you can square them up, you can read their body and you can get yourself in position to bring them down. But the way they're able to manipulate their body and lower their flags and change the, the angles of their flags isn't something that NFL players are necessarily used to. I mean, I saw Patrick Peterson going against Isow Speed and he tracked him well. You know, in football it would have been a great tackle. He would, he would put his shoulder on him, he would have been to the ground, but he spun away from him because you got to grab his flags at the end of the day. And that's something that takes practice. And it's not one of those things that's, that comes easy or comes naturally to guys. So yeah, it's, it's, it's a different coverage, the field smaller. You know that the game is so much different for quarterbacks. Everybody's like, oh, these quarterbacks are putting on a bad showing. And that's, it's a different game. It's a different game. They're reading it like these are the coverages they're used to seeing, but it's not, it's not the coverages you're used to seeing and it's not the guys playing the positions that you're used to playing. So I think with more practice and in changing the guys, you know, you're not going with your, your, the superstars that you're used to. You're going with the, the guys who can, who can move in, in space, who can cover in space, who are quick, who have great hand eye coordination. Lamar Jackson would be fantastic in this league. You know, you got to have a mobile quarterback. You know, you could. Joe Burrow is a fantastic quarterback. Tom Brady's a fantastic quarterback. But in flag, you need a mobile guy who, who might be able to fling it just enough.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

I'm going to throw a random name out there who I think would be an all star in flight football. Kevante Turpin. You know the Dallas Cowboys. Speeds.

[Richard Sherman]

Yes.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

Short, agile, quick. Rasheed Shahid, your guy up in Seattle. Guys like that, that bring that element of quickness and speed to the game. Look out. But will you just explain, Richard, is what in the fighting community the difference between MMA and boxing? Right? I mean, you see all these MMA fighters try to fighting boxing and it's a totally different sport. I think we witnessed it this past weekend. Flag football is a lot different than tackle football, but given time, I'm sure the NFL stars could figure it out. But we did see Odell Beckham Jr. Make a big catch in that game. You know, he's still not on a team. What, what gives with him? Do you think he'll get an opportunity this year?

[Richard Sherman]

You know, I, I'm hearing that there's Speculation out there that teams are more interested because they show. I mean, he can play, he can catch the ball at a high level. A lot of the issues for him recently have just been health. Can he get on the field? Can he stay on the field? When he's on the field, he can play, he can catch the ball. What is his role? Can he fit that role? Can he. Can he thrive in a different role? You know, he's been a superstar for so long. Can he thrive in a secondary role? We'll see. But again, he's a guy who can play the game. You. You talk about DeAndre Hopkins, you know, another guy who can just play the game. They just. They're just football players. And if you put them out there and you throw in the ball, they're going to make some plays. Are they what they used to be in their prime? No father. Time waits for no, no man. But are they quality football players still? Yeah, I think so. And I think they can have a role.

[Mitchell (Podcast Host)]

Well, we shall see. There's a lot of veterans that are still left to be assigned here in free agencies, and we still got a lot of time left, you know, obviously, on the horizons, the draft. Richard, we're gonna have a lot more to talk about leading up to the draft. It's always a pleasure sitting back down with you again. Congrats on your Emmy nomination. Well deserved. I will let you sign us off, my friend.

[Richard Sherman]

Thank you, Mitchell. I appreciate that, as always. You guys could be anywhere in the world, but you're here with us, and we sincerely appreciate it. Thank you so much. Hope your off season's going well. Hope your spring's going well. I hope you have a great Easter in a couple weeks. All love. We'll see you next time.

[Bob Pittman]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.