Richard Sherman is reportedly heading toward a career in broadcasting — but only if his time in the NFL is really at an end.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Sherman, who was a cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021, is “deep in talks” with Amazon to join their broadcasting team for the 2022 season.
Amazon’s Prime Video is taking over as the exclusive broadcaster of “Thursday Night Football” later this year, with legendary play-by-play man Al Michaels calling the games and longtime ESPN college football announcer Kirk Herbstreit joining him in the booth.
With those two crucial spots filled, it’s not clear how Sherman, 34, would fit in. Prime Video, which has broadcast alternate feeds of TNF football games for a few seasons, already has a pre-show called “NFL Next.” In 2021 it was hosted by analyst Kay Adams, former defensive end Chris Long, former wide receiver Andrew Hawkins and former scout and current Los Angeles Chargers radio announcer Daniel Jeremiah. Prime Video also offered a scout’s feed and a Twitch feed during games, which were dotted with former NFL players and analysts.
Sherman could land prime spot
While Prime Video had a full house for their 2021 TNF programming, they haven’t made any announcements regarding their lineup for the 2022 season. Since Prime Video is taking over TNF a year early (they were originally slated to begin their exclusive broadcast agreement in 2023), “NFL Next” and all of their alternate feeds could be headed for a major reshuffle.
With his boisterous personality and penchant for trash talk, Sherman could theoretically slot in anywhere — though as his NFL career reaches the finish line, it seems unlikely he’d be featured on anything but a high-profile show like “NFL Next” or a project Prime Video creates especially for him.
It’s important to note that while Sherman is reportedly “deep in talks” with Prime Video, his NFL career might not be over. According to Rapoport, the former Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers CB is staying in shape in case an NFL offer comes along. He’s been in the NFL for 11 years, playing for the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers in addition to the Bucs. As we’ve seen over the years (Tom Brady, Brett Favre), it’s hard to say goodbye. But if he is done, it appears that he’s well on his way to locking down that crucial post-NFL gig.
Source: YAHOO