In the months that have followed his Achilles tendon tear, San Francisco 49ers All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman has been on a steady path toward a full recovery.
Sherman has picked it up a notch over the last several weeks with his participation in on-the-field work, leading to the belief that he'll be ready by the start of the 2018 season. The 30-year-old took another step forward on Tuesday with his participation in individual drills in the team's offseason workouts, according to the Sacramento Bee's Matt Barrows.
Richard Sherman (Achilles) will go through individual drills today, the first time he has done so this season. Kyle Shanahan said the plan remains for him to be full go at the start of training camp.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) June 12, 2018
This is an encouraging sign for the 49ers to see that Sherman is moving toward being a full-tilt prior to his first campaign with the team. There is a tremendous amount of responsibility that will lie ahead of him to be one of the anchors in the secondary.
There is no certainty that Sherman will be able to return to playing like the player he was prior to the injury, but his availability will help provide a much-needed boost to the secondary that struggled mightily at times this past season. He has been of the league's top cornerbacks over the last several years, earning four Pro Bowl selections, three First-Team All-Pro nods, and a Second-Team All-Pro selection. Since the 2011 season, he ranks first in interceptions (32), passes defended (99), completion percentage allowed (47.4), and passer rating allowed (50.9).
San Franciso will likely not rush the recovery process, but the continued steps forward that Sherman is taking should bring forth much optimism about what could lie ahead in the 2018 season. If the 49ers hope to take the next step into relevancy in the league, it will require their offseason addition to be a major part of the puzzle.
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