49ers cornerback Richard Sherman saw Super Bowl run coming

MIAMI — Richard Sherman wasn’t going to sign with just any team upon hitting free agency two offseasons ago.

As he approached the end of his career — as accustomed as he was to playing on the Super Bowl-contending Seattle Seahawks during his first seven NFL seasons — his next stop was most likely going to be with a promising team.

Hence some raised eyebrows when he signed with the San Francisco 49ers, who were 6-10 the year before.

But Sherman didn’t see a team with a losing record; he saw one on the verge of taking a dramatic step toward future Super Bowls.

“One hundred percent,” Sherman said Tuesday in Miami as he and the 49ers began preparations for Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs. “I envisioned we’d get here.”

Sherman, who was coming off an Achilles tendon injury suffered the previous season, thought the 49ers might knock on the Super Bowl door last season. But a season-ending knee injury to Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 3 sabotaged those hopes, resulting in a 4-12 record.

It was disappointing, but the silver lining wasn’t lost on Sherman.

“We got Nick (Bosa) out of it,” said Sherman, referencing the rookie defensive end the 49ers drafted with the second overall pick.

The return of Garoppolo and the addition of Bosa made the 49ers the team Sherman envisioned upon signing with them.

“We got banged up last year, but it ended up being a blessing in disguise,” Sherman said. “I knew what this scheme, defensively, was capable of, and I knew what (49ers head coach) Kyle (Shanahan) was capable of offensively if he had all the parts in place and all the personnel he wanted. I knew we could be special.”

Sense of urgency

After a season of dealing with various injuries, the Chiefs’ offensive line is as healthy as it’s been all season.

“Everything is cooking right now,” said veteran tackle Eric Fisher. “We’re healthy.”

It’s contributed to their best stretch of play of the season, and that includes two quality performances in the playoffs.

“(The Super Bowl) has been our ultimate goal, for years and years, and this O-line, the majority of us, have been together (for a while),” Fisher said. “We’re just kind of sick of not getting to this game and not taking it to the next level.

”Once you get to the playoffs, it’s single elimination. It’s not like a seven-game series. We’re putting everything out there.”

Buckner confident

San Francisco defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is well aware of the challenge that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes presents.

He understands the importance of getting pressure on him and doing it in a disciplined way that maintains rush lane integrity and limits Mahomes’ opportunities to utilize open gaps that he can use to pick up yards on the run.

Buckner also believes the 49ers can get to Mahomes in a way that affects his game.

“I think anybody can be rattled,” Buckner said. “I don’t think they’ve faced a front like us or a defense like ours. So we just have to play our game on Sunday.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.