Bucs to cross-train Richard Sherman at safety
Richard Sherman could return to practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week at a brand new position: Free safety.
Sherman has been on injured reserve with a calf injury but head coach Bruce Arians plans to bring him back as a dual-role defensive back.
“He’s going to start learning safety also,” Arians said Monday. “That’s the beauty of having ‘Sherm’ here — he’s a veteran player who can play a lot of positions. We’ll look at that this week and see if that’s a fit for us.”
Sherman, 33, sustained the calf injury while warming up for last week’s game against the Washington Football Team. He was set to make his fourth start since joining the team in late September during a rash of injuries that thinned the defensive back depth chart.
The 33-year-old Stanford product has appeared in 142 career games, starting 136, in 10-plus seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Buccaneers. He has 36 interceptions, five forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries.
Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting will not miss more time after a previous IR stint due to an elbow injury, Arians said.
As for Arians, he said he’s dealing with his own injury: a balky Achilles.
“Not very good. I inflamed my Achilles running too much trying to get back in shape and it’s not feeling too good,” he said.
–Field Level Media
