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San Francisco 49ers Players to Watch During Game Against Indianapolis Colts

By Cesar Becerra

HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 10: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers looks at the video board in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 10: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers looks at the video board in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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San Francisco 49ers
SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 03: Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks wheels around the sidelines before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter at CenturyLink Field on December 3, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

The Return of Richard Sherman

The offseason move that made the biggest headline was the signing of Richard Sherman. Sherman will make his return to the football field for the first time since November when he tore his right Achilles.

Now, finally, Sherman is expected to make his 49er debut.

Despite not being on the field, Sherman has already made his presence felt in the 49ers’ locker room. He came into camp fully recovered from the torn Achilles and was always expected to be ready by the regular season. A lingering hamstring injury was what kept him out of the first two preseason games.

Now Sherman is finally ready to test his gameday conditioning. At 30-years-old there is a lot of questions as to whether Sherman can remain healthy for a full season. But Sherman, as expected, bet on himself by signing an incentivized deal with the 49ers and Saturday will be his first test.

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

What can we expect out of Sherman?

At 30-years-old, it’s difficult to expect the same type of domination in coverage. But if Sherman can recapture his old form, the 49ers are getting one of the best cornerbacks in the league.

In Sherman’s career, he has never allowed greater than a 52 completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks, per PFF. He has held opposing quarterback’s passer ratings below 75.5 when targeting him in coverage and has gone 94 consecutive games without allowing a 100 yards in his coverage.

Yeah, in case you forgot, Sherman was good.

But in all reality, Sherman will likely take a few steps back. And that’s okay. At the very least, Sherman is going to provide a veteran presence on the defensive side of the ball and works as a perfect mentor for Ahkello Witherspoon.

It’s going to take Sherman a while to catch up to game day speed, as we saw in his reps against Marquise Goodwin. But 49er fans shouldn’t be concerned about Sherman’s overall production for the season.
Sherman already provides an irreplaceable value in the locker room and has the secondary more confidence than ever. Keep an eye on Sherm going up against Andrew Luck and watch his development as week one approaches.