Richard Sherman has agrred to extend his contract for four more years with the Seattle Seahawks worth $57.4 million, becoming the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, CBS Sports writes. A whopping $40 million of the sum is guaranteed.
Sherman has been loved by football fans in the past three years. He has also had a number of endorsement deals with brands like Nike, Beats By Dre and Campbell's Soup. According to a report by Mashable, he said that the new opportunities had been a great experience for him and that he needs to manage his time better now between playing, socializing and working in advertisements.
Sherman posted the news about the contract on his website on May 7:
"With this chapter closed, I can continue to focus on what is important - defending our Super Bowl Championship and being the best cornerback in the NFL. This is a great moment for my family, foundations and the people who supported me to this point. Hard work and execution got me to this moment. The Seattle Seahawks have backed up that respect with this contract."
Sherman also had some things to say about Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was recently banned for life from the NBA. He said that if Sterling were an NFL team owner, the league would not have banned him, noting that the NFL has a team called the redskins. Sherman said, "The NFL is more of a bottom line league. If it doesn't affect their bottom line, they're not as concerned."
He added that the United States has some more improvements to make in terms of racial issues. Sherman stated that people must treat people equally, regardless of their racial background, and that individuals should not be judged based on the color of their skin. People must be known by who they really are, and not on thei looks, according to the cornerback, writes USA Today.
In 2013, Sherman earned $555,000. He is expected to rake in about $1.4 million in base salary for the 2014 season.