Richard Sherman gives full vote of confidence in fringe Rams CB

The Los Angeles Rams know former All-Pro cornerback–turned–television commentator Richard Sherman, and he knows the Rams. Sherman was an NFL veteran of 11 seasons who hung up his football cleats after the 2021 NFL season. He played seven seasons for the Seattle Seahawks, three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, and finished out his NFL career by playing one season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Because he was such a dominating football player for opposing teams, his professional view since retiring from football has had a taint of bias in favor of his former teams and teammates. It’s natural, because those are the players, coaches, and organizations he knows intimately. So when he made it a point to call out veteran cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon after a solid showing in Week 1, it’s worth sitting up and noticing.

While the defense enjoyed a formidable effort in pass coverage, holding the Houston Texans offense to nine points and no touchdowns was far better than anyone had expected. And one of the huge contributors to that performance was veteran cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon.

Richard Sherman gives Ahkello Witherspoon his stamp of approval

While this is Witherspoon’s third season with the team, it’s the first in which he arrived early enough to benefit from a full summer of work. Since he had managed to earn a starting role despite the lack of training camp before, this season was expected to be his best yet. And so far, so good.

But perhaps the more significant factor is how this secondary has been deliberately constructed to optimize the talents of all starters. The Rams rolled out a starting group that included Witherspoon and Emmanuel Forbes—two taller corners who were able to neutralize many of the Texans’ receivers. They were joined by CB Cobie Durant, S Kam Curl, S Kam Kinchens, S Jaylen McCollough, and DB Quentin Lake.

The result of their combined efforts held the Texans' passing attack to just 151.0 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. That’s a remarkable debut for a defensive unit that many NFL analysts scoffed at before the season started.

Getting noticed by a former foe like Richard Sherman doesn’t come with accolades, honors, or awards. But it does come with respect—and a bit of swag. You can bet offensive coordinators will be checking their scripts going forward to ensure they’ve tried to address Witherspoon’s pass coverage. But if Week 1 is any indication, they’re going to be frustrated in the attempt.

As always, thanks for reading.

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