49ers Reportedly Place CB Richard Sherman On 3-Week Injured Reserve
SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) -- San Francisco 49ers star cornerback Richard Sherman is reportedly being placed on short-term injured reserve with a leg injury, the latest roster challenge to the defending NFC Champions.
The move, first reported by NFL Network, will require Sherman to miss at least the next three games under the league's adjusted rules. Sherman is dealing with a calf strain, according to NFL Network.
Sherman joins wide receiver Deebo Samuel on the injured reserve list. Samuel is recovering from a broken foot and will miss the next two games after missing the season-opening loss the Arizona Cardinals.
The five-time Pro Bowl cornerback played nearly the entire game against Arizona, only missing the four snaps at the end of the game when the Cardinals were kneeling down to run out the clock.
The team may be taking a cautious route with Sherman, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in 2017 while with the Seattle Seahawks.
He returned from his injury and signed with the 49ers in 2018, playing 14 games that season. In 2019, Sherman played the entire 16-game season along with two playoff games and Super Bowl LIV, earning 2nd-team All-Pro honors.
The loss of Sherman also adds to the team's woes at defensive back, with corners Jason Verrett and Ahkello Witherspoon both dealing with injuries.
The Athletic's Matt Barrows reported Witherspoon is currently in concussion protocol, while Verrett was ruled out of the Cardinals game with a hamstring injury; their status for Sunday's game against the New York Jets was unknown. The only other cornerbacks currently on the active roster are Emmanuel Moseley and K'Waun Williams.
Cornerback Dontae Johnson was a practice squad fill-in on Sunday and would also be a candidate to play again while Sherman is out.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan was expected to speak with reporters Wednesday at around 12:20 p.m. PT.
