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According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, cornerback Aqib Talib rejected a trade to the San Francisco 49ers before being shipped from the Denver Broncos to the Los Angeles Rams on March 8.
An example of how simple decisions this week affect players, teams and futures.
Aqib Talib rejected a trade that was agreed to between Denver and SF; wouldn’t report. He later is traded to LA.
So SF doesn’t get its CB, Richard Sherman is released and he winds up in SF.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2018
Schefter also reported shortly after Talib’s trade to the Rams that the veteran cornerback limited his trading options to the New England Patriots, where he played for Bill Belichick from 2012-13, or Los Angeles to reunite his former defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Even with Talib’s preferences, a trade to San Francisco was a long shot.
Nonetheless, missing out on Talib opened the door for the 49ers to sign Richard Sherman, who has many favorable qualities, to a three-year, $39.15 million deal shortly after he was released by the Seattle Seahawks on March 9.
After seven years in the NFL, Sherman is a Super Bowl champion, four-time Pro Bowler, and three-time All-Pro. Although Talib has 34 career interceptions, Sherman’s 32 interceptions since debuting in NFL is the most by any other cornerback during that span of time.
As for Talib, he’s spent 10 years in the NFL and is also a Super Bowl champion with five Pro Bowl appearances. Yet, at 29-years-old, Sherman presents a younger cornerback option for the 49ers than Talib, who is 32-years-old.