AP

Two of the best cornerbacks in the NFL will be on the field tonight when the Cardinals take on the Seahawks, but Seattle’s Richard Sherman says that as a pure athlete, he doesn’t even compare to Arizona’s Patrick Peterson.

“He’s a way better athlete than I am,” Sherman said. “He moves better and he’s faster. He has so much speed that it allows him to play a little differently than I do. I have to play straight technical football. He gets to play a little looser because he can recover in a flash and get back in a play.”

There may be a bit of boastfulness in Sherman’s contrasting himself with Peterson. Sherman seems to be implying that if Peterson is a way better athlete than Sherman, then Sherman’s “straight technical football” must be much better than Peterson’s.

But whatever their differences as players, they play the position as well as anyone. And because they’re in the same division, the 23-year-old Peterson and the 25-year-old Sherman are going to be on the same field many times for many years to come.