San Francisco 49ers defensive star Richard Sherman is expected to miss a few weeks with a calf injury that could cost him a lot of money. Sherman had to be helped off the field during halftime against the Kansas City Chiefs and wasn’t able to return to the game.
Relatively good news for #49ers CB Richard Sherman: He has a mild calf strain, I’m told. Out for a few weeks.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 24, 2018
Sherman signed a one-year contract this offseason, and a lot of the bonuses negotiated into the deal involve him being on the field. Sherman earns a $1 million bonus if he is on the field for 90 percent of the team’s snaps. Sherman also earns a $1 million bonus if he makes the Pro Bowl and a $2 million bonus if he makes Associated Press All-Pro team.
Missing a few weeks is going to make it very hard for Sherman to make an All-Pro team or the Pro Bowl, and if he misses out on those he will be out $4 million. Sherman also loses $125,000 for each game he misses, a number that will add up quickly if this calf strain lingers.
Sherman bet on himself and his ability to stay healthy this offseason, and so far it appears it’s not really paying off. Sherman’s contract next year also becomes non-guaranteed if misses the Pro Bowl, which means the 49ers could cut him with no penalty. That is another $7 million he would miss out on.
There is still a chance Sherman could make the Pro Bowl just because of his popularity, but if he does miss out, it’s going to be a big payday lost.