Richard Sherman Discusses Offseason Trade Rumors in Players' Tribune

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman reiterated Friday in a piece for The Players' Tribune that he wasn't bothered by offseason trade rumors. 

"I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Trade talks happen every off-season," Sherman wrote. "The only difference this year is that it happened to become public for some strange reason. It’s really just the nature of the business."

On June 14, Sherman told the Seattle Times' Bob Condotta he was aware of trade discussions but didn't make much of them because of the way the Seahawks front office operates. 

“It’s just a conversation they have every year," he said. "I guess this year, more people knew about it. It’s a conversation they have every year — everybody’s open, everybody’s available. They just made sure I knew, and you guys found out. Pretty open about it. It was never a situation where anybody asked for it. It was just a conversation."

Sherman added Friday that he has no desire to leave the Pacific Northwest: "Let me say it again….I do not want out of Seattle. I couldn’t be happier with where I am, or where we're at as a team."

As things stand, Sherman is under contract with the Seahawks for two more seasons. However, Seattle will have a decision to make next summer, since it will be able to save $11 million against the cap if Sherman is released after June 1. 

But for the time being, Sherman should continue to operate as a linchpin of a Seahawks secondary that enters the 2017 season ranked third overall behind the New York Giants and New England Patriots, according to Pro Football Focus. 

If that group can continue to maintain a standard of excellence in concert with more offensive consistency, Seattle should find itself in the thick of the NFC title picture once again.