San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman brought a sense of stability in his first season with the team. It appears they are expecting even bigger things from him moving forward.

Sherman dealt with his fair share of injuries in the 2018 NFL season. According to Albert Breer of the Monday Morning Quarterback column, he was never fully healthy throughout the year:

“I’m told that Richard Sherman was at no better than 80 percent last year, and he only got there after significant improvement in early November, right around when the Niners played the Giants,” Breer said. “As such, San Francisco expects a much improved version of the former All-Pro, which would give the roster a boost at a position where Ahkello Witherspoon struggled last year, and Jason Verrett was added last month. Another thing that should help: Sherman had surgery to have sutures, initially put in as part of the rehab process, removed from his heel after the season, and he’s felt a lot better since.”

It was a rough year for Sherman from an injury standpoint. He had already been recovering from a ruptured Achilles going into the offseason. It seems there were a number of other minor injuries that prevent him from getting back to 100 percent during the season.

Despite his struggles, Sherman still finished the season as the 49ers best cornerback. He registered 37 tackles, a sack, and four passes defended while allowing just one touchdown all year. The prospect of him playing at full health is certainly an encouraging sign for the defense.

Although San Francisco will continue to rely heavily on the veteran moving forward, they have made it a point to add some depth to the position this offseason. It is likely that cornerbacks Ahkello Witherspoon, Tarvarius Moore, and Jason Verrett will compete for the starting job opposite of Sherman.