SEATTLE — "The truth never expires."
That was Richard Sherman's quote when asked on Tuesday if he had any hostility toward former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, whom he won a Super Bowl with in 2014. His comments and tweets over the past few months have suggested as much.
Just last week, he responded to The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar's tweet about how the Seahawks "remain on pace to have an amazing draft pick via the Russ trade" by sarcastically writing "Who could have imagined?"
This is on top of Sherman defending previously-lambasted Seahawks offensive coordinators, with Richard arguing that they just didn't have the right quarterback.
But Sherman is right — the truth does not expire. Unfortunately, in his case, the immaturity doesn't either.
When I woke up Wednesday morning, I'd planned on writing a column on how nice it was to see Sherman stick the landing after what was likely the most tumultuous stretch of his life. The former Seahawk and likely Hall of Famer had been arrested in the summer of 2021, when video showed him trying to break into his in-laws' home, an incident that resulted in guilty pleas to first-degree negligent driving, speeding in a roadway construction zone and second-degree criminal trespass. Since then, he has become one of the more entertaining and candid football analysts in the country (no real surprise) during his time with Amazon Prime. He seemed content, engaging and endearing — even if he did seem to have some antagonism toward his former QB.
Then came his Wednesday appearance on Seattle Sports 710 AM with Mike Salk, Brock Huard and his former teammate K.J. Wright — when everything that irks folks about Sherm came roaring back.
The interview started off pleasantly enough, with Sherman providing enthusiastic answers to questions from Wright and Huard. Then, Salk asked about Sherman's stints with the 49ers and Buccaneers and how those experiences differed from his time with the Seahawks. That's when the not-so-flattering version of Richard's personality showed up.
"First off, I remember when I exited here, I remembered some words from you that were a lot different than I had heard when I was here. It's a little different," Sherman said. "I'm gonna answer the questions from Brock and K.J., but we're going to excuse you out of this."
Salk pushed back by saying his words actually hadn't changed from when Sherman was in Seattle. Sherman said he wouldn't know because he never listened to Salk's show, then doubled down by saying "you're excused from the interview."
Look, there are always going to be a contingent of Seahawks fans who adore Sherman no matter what he does. In addition to three first-team All-Pro selections, he is responsible for "the tip" against the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game — which, given how it led to Seattle's sole Super Bowl win, is the most iconic play in franchise history.
But it is moments like Wednesday's that cause another contingent of Seahawks fans to forever curtail their admiration for the likely Hall of Famer. Sherman just can't — and probably will never be able to — get out of his own way.
For one, he never actually explained what Salk said in the past to upset him — and Mike tried to get it out of him. This is perhaps the most irritating aspect of animosity anybody can have.
I don't like that guy.
Why not?
I just don't!
You should always have a reason — even if it's a ridiculous one. There is no question Salk has bluntly criticized Sherman. He went off on Richard's comments about Seahawks fans last February, in which he called Sherman "the perfect combination of smart, confident and delusional, and with no need whatsoever to remain consistent."
Harsh? Maybe. True? Absolutely.
Remember, Sherman is the guy who blew up on the sideline when the Seahawks threw the ball from the Rams' 1 in 2016 before essentially blaming coach Pete Carroll for losing the Super Bowl. Then, he threatened to pull former 710 radio host Jim Moore's media credential when Moore asked him a question he didn't like. It doesn't seem Sherman has grown much since then.
Second, and more significantly: Sherman is paid to do the exact thing Salk does — critique athletes. And he does it with just as much candor as Mike. Just imagine if Wilson was asked to join the Amazon Prime crew after a game before telling Sherman he was "excused" from the interview for previous comments. By Sherman's standard, this would be completely justifiable.
But Wilson wouldn't do this. Ever. For all the criticism Russell has received lately, you gotta give him credit for always taking the high road.
No one will ever accuse Sherman of being boring. No one will ever accuse him of holding back, either. He is smart and forthright and often incredibly kind and gracious. But this side of him isn't going away.
Before the 710 interview was cut short, Huard tried to play peacemaker by saying he had a "brotherhood" with Salk in the way Sherman did with Wright. Sherman respected that bond but said, in the end, he simply didn't respect Salk.
That's fine. It's his right. I just hope he knows that antics such as these are going to prevent a decent number of Seahawks fans from ever respecting him.
