SANTA CLARA — 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman was ejected for fighting late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 14-9 loss to the Bears. But he just gained even more respect from his coach and teammates.
After the loss, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was very happy with the motives behind Sherman’s actions in protecting rookie safety Marcell Harris. While he would prefer his star cornerback not get disqualified, Shanahan praised Sherman for having his teammate's back.
“I don’t know what happened over there,” Shanahan said. “Sherm was very clear to me he was trying to get his brother’s back, and I love for guys to do that as much as they can.
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“It’s definitely better when they do as much as they can and they don’t get ejected. But they had two get ejected and we had one, so that was better. I respect the heck out of Sherm, and I didn’t really see what happened.”
Quarterback Nick Mullens noted how close the team is after all of the adversity it has faced this season. He explained that Sherman’s actions are a prime example of how tight-knit the 49ers are, despite their 4-11 record.
“Yeah, it’s awesome," Mullens said. "You definitely don’t want penalties. But the fact that he’s fighting for our team, standing up, that’s what we take pride in. We know the brotherhood we have here. We know the bond that we have, no matter who’s out on the field. That’s why I’m almost most proud of the team this year.
“Look at the things we’ve gone through. We have a great group of guys. It’s a pretty darn good football team we just played, and look how we fought. There’s no moral victories. But we know the type of people that we have in the room. That’s what matters.”
San Francisco 49ers
When asked about what he saw in the incident, tight end George Kittle had jokes.
“Richard’s a baller, and I respect him," Kittle said. “I will not pay his fine, though.”
Kittle continued to heap praise on Sherman, noting how the cornerback stepped up when the team needed veteran leadership the most.
“Richard is not going to go out there and do that if he doesn’t have the back of everyone on this team,” Kittle said. “And he does. And our whole defense was out there having Richard’s back.
“I don’t like to see Richard get disqualified or kicked out of the game, but he’s definitely saying, ‘Hey don’t mess with our guys or I’m going to fight you if you try to.’ I love that, and I know that the offense has Sherm’s back as well.”
[RELATED: Sherman explains why he fought Bears sideline]
Rookie linebacker Fred Warner sees Sherman as a mentor and a leader for the young 49ers defense. He respects any decisions Sherman makes, which includes running into the middle of a melee of fighting players.
“Sherm, he’s going to have our back no matter what,” Warner said. “I’m cool with what he did. He’s going to protect us and himself at the same time. Sherm as a player and a person, we respect him so much for what he’s done in his career and the short time since he’s been here.
“When he speaks, everyone listens, and his actions back up what he says. Just like what he did today. It sucked that he got ejected, but we still got his back.”
Sherman undoubtedly will be fined for his role in the altercation, but he had no regrets about his actions.
"It will be worth every penny."