During his time in Seattle, Richard Sherman was highly visible.
Sherman might have been the villain, but he was the face of a perennial Super Bowl contender. He was the leader of the Boom Legion.
It is difficult for a defensive player to earn the distinction of team face or NFL face. That honor is generally reserved for quarterbacks.
But is there a young defensive player currently in the NFL who could become the face of the NFL? Yes, according to former 49ers practice squad player and current Houston Texans defenseman Michael Thomas.
And it turns out that player is New York Jets safety Jamal Adams, who the 49ers have in mind.
“I think I want to see defensive players have the same marketability and opportunities as” league faces “as offensive players,” wrote Thomas as a guest writer for NBC Sports’ Peter King “Football Morning in America” column. . “Richard Sherman is probably the closest thing we have. He built that bigger-than-life personality at the height of the Legion of Boom in Seattle and that’s what we need. The bigger a player like Richard Sherman, the better it will be for the next generation of defensive superstars, like a Jamal Adams, so they can continue to increase their marketability and elevate their platform. “
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Adams is not happy with his current contractual situation in New York, and has requested an exchange. The Jets still have two years of team control over Adams, so they are unwilling to trade the All-Pro.
The big difference between Sherman and Adams is that the current 49ers cornerback has a very outgoing personality. For someone who plays The Big Apple, Adams’ personality isn’t exactly known. Can it be the face of the NFL? Yes, he wants the big contract that comes with being an elite player, but does he want that “NFL Face” title?
“Obviously, that person has to come with acting on the field, and that’s why I think Jamal Adams is probably the next great person who could play that outsized role after Richard Sherman,” wrote Thomas. “His productivity in the field is there. I don’t know exactly what the hype is looking like, maybe they’re commercial, like Troy Polamalu with hair, or maybe he’s getting to the point where, like Sherm, he’s big enough to make it … on the cover of Madden. Whatever it is, I just want that for our defensive players, that brilliance, visibility and compensation, even if it means leaning into that villain role. “
[[[[RELATED: Deebo wants Adams in the 49ers]The good news for Adams is that he is still only 24 years old and entering his fourth season in the NFL. He still has time to build his public persona and become a potential “NFL Face.”
And if the 49ers can figure out how to fit Adams’ salary on their roster, he can do so while playing Sherman.
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