Sherman on relationship with Wilson: 'I'm sorry our competition isn't pretty and cordial'

SEATTLE – Richard Sherman again pushed back against a story this season describing a rift between himself and Russell Wilson, telling ESPN it’s simply “the way we sharpen our iron.”

In a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Josina Anderson, the Seattle Seahawks cornerback described his relationship with Wilson as “professional.”

“We’re pros,” Sherman said. “We hang out from time to time. We get along. Everybody gets along. But, is my relationship with Russell the same as it is with Doug (Baldwin) or the same as it is with Bobby (Wagner)? No. Is his relationship with me the same as it is with (Tyler Lockett) or (Justin) Britt?

“It’s just different dynamics.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=309&v=GqMym5WyvXU

Seth Wickersham wrote a now-infamous story for ESPN The Magazine in May that described Sherman intercepting a Wilson pass in practice in 2014 and screaming “you (expletive) suck” at him before a fight broke out.

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Sherman didn’t deny the incident happen, but said it was taken out of context.

“That’s 100 percent true,” Sherman said. “And I’ve said worse to Doug (Baldwin), and I’ve said worse to (Jermaine) Kearse. Because, iron sharpens iron as one man sharpens another. Once again, snapshot.”

Sherman pointed out that it’s not unusual to be closer with one teammate than another.

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“As teammates, we’re phenomenal,” he said. “It’s just, every single person on every single team doesn’t hang out. I don’t see anybody getting mad that Tom (Brady) isn’t hanging out with Malcom Butler.

“They’re like ‘hey, Tom, you and Malcom Butler go hang out? You guys don’t? Hmmm! What’s going on?’”

Sherman said fierce competition is necessary on winning teams.

“I’m sorry that our competition – the way we sharpen our iron – isn’t pretty and cordial,” he said. “I’m sure if you went to see bad teams, they’ll probably get along great. They’ll probably be slapping high-fives and doing great, but then you go 4-12.”

Sherman said the story doesn’t ring true because the incident in question happened before a season in which the Seahawks went to the Super Bowl.

“If you told me that moment derailed our season and we went straight downhill from there, then I’d say, ‘Wow, he’s onto something – that’s incredible, that’s a great story,’” Sherman said. “What happened was, we were a yard from winning a Super Bowl. How is that not the story?”