49ers' Richard Sherman gets contract bonus for being Pro Bowl starter

Share

Richard Sherman received a lot of flak for acting as his own agent while negotiating his contract to sign with the 49ers two offseasons ago, but it appears he knew exactly what he was doing.

Working his way back from a torn Achilles, Sherman wasn't his typical self in his first season with San Francisco. But this year, now fully healthy, he has been one of the best defensive backs in the NFL, as evidenced by his selection as a starter for the NFC Pro Bowl team on Tuesday.

Surely, that selection means something to Sherman, after he was only made available to the 49ers after he was released by the rival Seahawks -- due at least in part to his serious injury. But Sherman won't just feel a boost in his self-esteem -- he'll feel it in his wallet, too.

As Spotrac noted, Sherman's Pro Bowl selection triggers multiple incentives in his contract.

By being named a Pro-Bowl starter, Sherman not only increased his 2020 base salary by $1 million, but also ensured it would become fully guaranteed on Apr. 1, 2020. It was a clever inclusion in the contract language that clearly has paid off, but according to Sherman, it wasn't even his own idea.

Rather, it was his wife's.

[RELATED: 49ers' Sherman confident he's still best cornerback in NFL]

Sherman had been advocating for numerous teammates to also be selected to the Pro Bowl over the last month, so it's not exactly surprising to see him credit others in helping him achieve a personal goal.

Contact Us