When the Denver Broncos signed free agent wide receiver Trent Sherfield to a 2-year, $6 million free agent contract in March, they were almost certain they were getting a top notch special teams player who could provide depth at a weak position group.
Through training camp and the first preseason game, the Broncos seem like they may have signed an entirely different monster.
Sherfield has been steadily making his case to be the WR2 or WR3 option for the Broncos, underlined by leading his team with 3 receptions for 73 yards and one touchdown in a 30-9 preseason win over the San Francisco 49ers on August 9.
The next best wide receiver for the Broncos was rookie Pat Bryant with 2 catches for 21 yards.
“It was 29-year-old wide receiver Trent Sherfield Sr. who was the new face with the biggest impact Saturday night,” ESPN’s Jeff Legwold wrote on August 10. “Sherfield, who signed a two-year deal in free agency, had 73 yards on his three receptions, including a top-shelf toe tap for a 36-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. In a crowded group of receivers, Sherfield has consistently shown in training camp that he can offer far more to the team than quality special teams play.”
Grinding Out NFL Career Through Hard Work
Making an NFL roster was an uphill battle for Sherfield, 6-foot and 203 pounds, who went undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2018 and is now on his sixth team in 8 seasons.
Sherfield broke into the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals and spent his first 3 seasons there before playing one season each with the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Vikings.
While Sherfield has only played more than half of his team’s offensive snaps once — with the Dolphins in 2022 — but he’s played close to half or more of his team’s special teams snaps 5 seasons and had 8 special teams tackles in 2024.
Sherfield had a career high 30 receptions for 417 yards and 2 touchdowns with the Dolphins in 2022.
Landing with the Broncos represents a massive payday for Sherfield, who will almost make as much in 2 years with the Broncos as he earned in his first 7 NFL seasons combined ($8.8 million).
Sherfield ‘Steals the Show’ in Preseason Debut
The Denver Post’s Luca Evans had Sherfield projected on the Broncos 53-man roster before training camp and singled him out for “stealing the show” in the win over the 49ers.
“Toss a few stacks into the Sherfield 500 fund, at your earliest convenience,” Evans wrote on August 9. “After keying in on the free-agent wideout with a two-year deal this spring, Sherfield’s spent the entirety of training camp showing he shouldn’t be viewed as just a specialist. He’s shown sticky hands. He’s shown some burst. And it all culminated in a preseason breakout Saturday for a 29-year-old NFL vet … It’s hard to believe the seven-year veteran has never caught more than 30 balls in any season, but Sherfield looks like a key part of Denver’s rotation at wide receiver as a run-blocker. Don’t be surprised if his number gets called occasionally.”
Sherfield is currently listed as the backup to second year wide receiver DeVaughn Vele on the depth chart.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Broncos $6 Million Free Agent Called ‘Top Shelf’ WR appeared first on Heavy Sports.