SANTA CLARA, Calif .– In a surprising turn of events, the San Francisco 49ers are placing cornerback Richard Sherman on the injured reserve due to a leg injury, a league source told ESPN on Wednesday.
Landing on the injured reserve forces Sherman to miss at least the next three weeks under the league’s adjusted injured reserve rules. NFL Network first reported the move and that Sherman was dealing with a calf strain.
The first Sherman could return would be for a Week 5 game against the Miami Dolphins on October 11. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan is expected to address the media and Sherman situation around 3:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Sherman’s injury comes as a surprise after playing 78 of 82 shots in the team’s loss to Arizona on Sunday. The four shots Sherman missed came at the end of that game when Arizona knelt down to overtake the clock.
On Monday, Shanahan mentioned no injury concerns about Sherman, who joins high receiver Deebo Samuel (foot) on the injured reserve.
Sherman’s loss puts the Niners in a precarious position around the corner where veteran Jason Verrett suffers from a hamstring injury.
On Wednesday morning, the 49ers have just three more cornerbacks on the active roster of Emmanuel Moseley, Ahkello Witherspoon and K’Waun Williams.
Dontae Johnson, who played last week after being one of the team’s two training squad calls, is expected to be a candidate again and could take Sherman’s place on the roster until he returns .
Considering Sherman’s history with Achilles injuries, the Niners seem to be playing cautiously with any potential leg issues. Sherman suffered a ruptured right Achilles in November 2017, had a subsequent cleansing operation on his left Achilles, and then had sutures removed from his right Achilles after the 2018 season.
Sherman returned to form last season when he was named second All Pro team with 61 tackles, three interceptions and 11 assists defended.
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