"Shut up" - Ex-Seahawks star Richard Sherman sends stern message over suspicious refereeing on Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs

Retired cornerback Richard Sherman is sick of people putting the burden on defenders for unnecessary roughness. He was commenting on the controversial unnecessary roughness and roughing the passer calls on the Houston Texans defenders during their divisional round game against the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs.

“I’m tired of hearing fans talk about what these players should and could do and how they should be able to take their head out of it. You can’t do it. Show me an example of you doing it. So shut up,” Sherman said.

To illustrate his point, the former Seattle Seahawks star suggested a home exercise for fans who think otherwise.

"If you have a punching bag or mattress, I want you to run as fast as you can into something," Sherman said. "I want you to lead your body without your head. If you can have the target move a little bit, that will be great.

"And then I want you to come back and look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself, how difficult was that? Were you able to do it? Were you able to lead your body with your head? I can tell you. The answer is no."

He also explained how it is impossible to not lead with your head because of the natural body dynamics of following the eyes.

“My eyes are taking me literally to where the target is. If my eyes are there, my body is going to be there. My body is going to follow my eyes. It’s just how it works,” he added.

Sherman was a cornerback who became a core part of the legendary "Legion of Doom" defense in Seattle. He was a five-time All-Pro and played 144 games with the Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2011 to 2021.

Richard Sherman attributes part of the issue to Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes

Richard Sherman puts some of the blame on quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In the play he referenced, Mahomes started running with the ball past the line of scrimmage. Instead of going out of bounds, he chose to cut inside and slide as Texans defenders were approaching.

Two defenders clashed with each other as Mahomes was sliding, and the referees judged that to be a roughing of the passer penalty.

In-game commentator Troy Aikman called the penalty "awful." Sherman concurred.

“He was scrambling around, He could’ve easily gone out of bounds. He came back in the field of play and then slid,” Sherman said.

He also blames the rule-makers who instituted the rule.

“A lot of these issues stem from people who don’t play the game making the rules," Sherman added.

Sherman is partly incorrect though in his claim that the rules are currently decided by people who do not play.

The 14-person panel competition committee, in charge of the rules, comprises owners, team executives and head coaches. San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles are both on the committee, and they were both known as hard-hitting safeties in their professional playing careers.