When cornerback Richard Sherman had free agency options, he weighed more than just the money that was presented to him.
He also wanted to win, and the play in a place he was comfortable.
Sherman told David Lombardi of TheAthletic.com that he rejected a Lions offer which included more guaranteed money, primarily because he didn’t want to play there.
“But that’s not the kind of football I want to play,” Sherman said. “The way you run their scheme, your culture. You want to do it the Patriots’ way and that’s really not the way I do football. . . .
“I have fun. I like music at practice. I like to hang out and be relaxed in meetings. I don’t like the stressful environment in football. [The Lions] condition every day after practice. My body isn’t built to run all day and night. I’ll be prepared, but I don’t have to be run into the ground.”
He found a home with Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers, something closer to what he was looking for after he and the Seahawks parted ways.
“That’s what I appreciate about Kyle,” Sherman said. “His culture and the way he did things was very similar to how we did things in Seattle and what I was accustomed to. That made a huge difference. Hey, I can get this $20 million guaranteed and be in Detroit and lose football games. Or I can go to a place where I’m very comfortable with the scheme, coach and culture and I’m very comfortable with the things they do and I really believe we can win.
“Because I don’t think there’s anybody that can stop Kyle when he has the personnel that he has picked and put into spots, and I don’t think there’s anyone that can beat [defensive coordinator Robert] Saleh when he has the personnel that he has picked and put into spots.”
The fact Sherman’s in Miami this week, and the Lions are 9-22-1 and signed up for another year of Matt Patricia trying to create a New England system in Detroit suggests his choice was the right one.