NFL rumors: 49ers honor Richard Sherman's $1 million play-time incentive

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General manager John Lynch and the 49ers reportedly have done right by cornerback Richard Sherman, honoring his $1 million 90 percent play-time incentive, ESPN's Field Yates said Saturday.

Sherman fell just short of the incentive goal by playing 896 of the 49ers' 1,029 total regular-season defensive snaps, good for 87 percent.

Sherman sat out the 49ers' Week 15 matchup facing the Atlanta Falcons, but during the week prior, he expressed that he was healthy enough to play. He heeded the advice of the 49ers' player performance staff, though, and watched from the sideline. 

The following week, when Sherman was asked about reaching his play-time incentive for 2019, he mentioned that he and the 49ers already had come to the agreement that sitting out one game would not financially affect him.

“John and I had a conversation early in the year about that,” Sherman said. “And they had a conversation -- they had already given me that incentive. So there’s no incentive for me, in terms of financial, for me to be like, ‘I’ve got to come back to get this amount of money.’ It’s always what’s best for the team.”

Last season was Sherman’s true comeback from an Achilles injury that limited his ability in 2018. He racked up three interceptions, 11 pass breakups and 53 tackles, as well as a Pro Bowl nod and a second-team All-Pro selection. It was his best statistical season since 2016. 

What might be even more valuable to the 49ers is Sherman’s leadership of a young secondary that ranked second in passing yards allowed per game (178.8) last season.

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Sherman famously negotiated his initial contract with the 49ers with several incentives that he was able to max out in his second season. He earned $1 million for being voted to the Pro Bowl, and also escalated his 2020 salary from $7 million to $8 million. The second-team All-Pro nod also earned him another $2 million bonus. He called out his critics on social media after he met those contract incentives.

Sherman's original contract became guaranteed for injury only on March 20, but will become fully guaranteed on April 1.

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