49ers Rumors: Richard Sherman to Be Placed on IR with Calf Injury

San Francisco 49ers star cornerback Richard Sherman is going on injured reserve, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. 

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network later reported Sherman has a calf strain and needs "a few weeks of rest and rehab." His IR designation means he'll miss a minimum of three weeks.

The 32-year-old remains one of the top cornerbacks in the game. The Niners veteran was excellent in his second season for San Francisco in 2019, registering 61 tackles, three interceptions, 11 passes defensed and a defensive touchdown. The Stanford product made his fifth Pro Bowl team and was voted second-team All-Pro.

Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 13th-best player in the NFL and the top cornerback of the 2019 season: 

"The Super Bowl wasn't the best game of his season, but Richard Sherman was phenomenal overall this season, and he was back to his best in coverage after working his way back from an Achilles injury a couple of seasons back. Sherman won our Best Coverage Defender Award this season, allowing a passer rating of just 45.3 over the entire season, including that Super Bowl performance. He surrendered just 227 receiving yards in the regular season, a figure some corners managed to allow in just a couple of games."

Add in safety Jimmie Ward (No. 54 in the PFF Top 101) and an excellent front seven, and it's no surprise that the Niners gave up just 169.2 passing yards per game last year, best in the NFL. 

Sherman has shown few signs of slowing down in 2020, posting four tackles in a Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He's an indispensable part of San Francisco's secondary, and replacing him is a major task. 

Look for K'Waun Williams to either slide outside from his normal post in the slot or one of Dontae Johnson or Jason Verrett to step into a starting role.