Richard Sherman says matchup with DeVonta Smith made him consider retirement

Former Alabama star DeVonta Smith made a living by torching opposing defensive backs repeatedly all the way to winning the Heisman Trophy in college. That’s no small feat, especially for a wide receiver, when the position rarely has brought home the honor over the years. The past few years in the National Football League, he’s been busy making a name for himself in torching defensive backs at the next level, too. He’s already hauled in over 2,100 receiving yards his first two years in the NFL. Recently on his own podcast, former NFL star Richard Sherman was not afraid to admit that when he lined up against Smith, he knew it was time to hang up the cleats.

Richard Sherman knew it was time to retire after facing DeVonta Smith

“I’ll never forget when I was in Tampa and I had just come back from injury. You know what I mean? A calf injury or something…” Sherman began. “I had just come to Tampa and that was my third game. And we had you [the Eagles] on a Thursday night. And DeVonta must have run this comeback. I had him under control. You know what I mean? I was like, bang, quick jam, easy. Got him under control.”

“He must have stopped and I tried to stop and my whole groin said snap, snap, snap. I said, ‘Woah!’ And then you’re trying to guard him. You’re like, chasing him around. ‘Please don’t throw him the ball. Please,’ the former Seahawks star continued.

“And our coach is looking at me over on the sideline like, ‘Hey, you wanna come out? You wanna come out?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, but they’re in the hurry up.’ So, I’m like bailing out. At that moment, I was like, ‘Yeah, this is probably my last year. I just don’t got it for these young dudes right now,'” Sherman said.

Sherman certainly won’t be the last defensive back that Smith will has contemplating retirement. To be fair, the former Seahawks’ star enjoyed a prolific career in the league. He was still well past his prime and likely stayed in the NFL far too long by the time he faced Smith. An injury was inevitable sooner or later. The end was coming and soon. But Smith figures to be a big, big problem in the National Football League for much of his promising career in the future.

He played a critical role in Jalen Hurts’ massive jump in improvement last year, hauling in 95 catches for 1,196 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Smith and Hurts helped propel the Eagles all the way to the Super Bowl, where they fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in a 38-35 heartbreaker.