Richard Sherman meets with 49ers, signals free-agent tour has just begun

Richard Sherman put the 49ers first on his free-agent visit list. He signaled Saturday they would not be the last.

“Thank you to everyone for the kind words,” the veteran cornerback wrote on his Twitter account. “This is just another chapter in the journey. This will be an ongoing process and I am excited to take on this challenge. To the fans urging me to join your team, I am humbled but I can only look at the teams that have reached out.”

Sherman is a rare free agent in that he doesn't have an agent.

The 29-year-old cornerback was released by the Seahawks Friday and had dinner with Kyle Shanahan that night in the Bay Area. He had a more formal meeting with team officials – and, according to a league source, a physical – Saturday. The NFL Network reported that he was scheduled to visit the Detroit Lions in the coming week while ESPN said he had a half dozen suitors, including the Raiders.

Sherman, who turns 30 later this month, had surgery on his right Achilles tendon in November and had a bone spur removed from the opposite heel late last month. He has said that he plans to be running at full speed some time next month and will be ready to play by training camp.

The 49ers are in need of cornerbacks and are expected to land a veteran in the coming week whether it is Sherman or someone else.

This story was originally published March 10, 2018 at 12:23 PM.