Perseverance Rewarded: Will Sherman’s Long Road to His First NFL Start

NEW ORLEANS — Will Sherman waited.

He waited through draft weekend expectations and post-draft uncertainty. Through practice squads and weekly routines that looked identical whether he was dressing on Sundays or not. Through years where preparation mattered more than opportunity.

Late in his fifth NFL season, that patience finally paid off.

Sherman, a former Colorado Buffaloes offensive lineman, earned the first two starts of his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints, closing the season in the starting lineup after years of waiting for his moment.

"First off, I just want to give all the glory to God," Sherman said. "To even be in this position is a testimony to Him and my journey."

That journey began in Boulder, where Sherman developed into a dependable presence along the Buffaloes' offensive line. From 2017–20, he made 28 career starts, including starting the final 27 games of his collegiate career. As a junior in 2020, he earned second-team All-Pac-12 Conference honors before declaring early for the NFL Draft.

The leap to the professional level came quickly. Selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, Sherman appeared in one game during his rookie season, logging limited snaps but gaining valuable exposure to the league's demands.

What followed required resilience.

Sherman spent the next three seasons on the Denver Broncos practice squad from 2022 through 2024, grinding through weekly preparations without knowing when—or if—his opportunity would come. The work stayed the same. The results didn't always.

"I definitely felt like I had a lot of growing up to do, mentally and physically," Sherman said. "Every single year, I've been getting closer and closer to this moment."

That perseverance carried into 2025, when Sherman joined the Saints' practice squad early in the season. On Nov. 8, he was elevated to the active roster, a turning point that led to seven game appearances and, ultimately, starts in the final two games of the year.

Helping a team win—something he had envisioned since entering the league—became reality.

"To help a team win a football game is something I've wanted to do since I entered the league," Sherman said. "I just hadn't been able to do it until now."

Even in his first start, Sherman's focus never drifted toward celebration. Instead, it stayed where it always had: on accountability and improvement.

"It was far from perfect," he said. "There are things I can grow from and build off of."

That mindset is precisely what earned him trust late in the season. Coaches turned to Sherman not because of hype or potential, but because of preparation—years of it. His approach, he said, hasn't changed, even as his role has.

"I've just tried to get better each and every day," Sherman said. "The details matter, especially on game day."

Now settled in New Orleans, Sherman credits the culture and coaching staff for giving him the space to grow and the belief to endure. Even during a difficult season, he noticed something different—something that mirrored the way he had built his own career.

"We kept our heads down and kept working," he said. "Once you feel that winning feeling, you want it again."

Will Sherman's NFL story isn't defined by a single start or a single season. It's defined by patience, faith, and persistence—by choosing to keep showing up long before the spotlight arrived.

After five years, the wait was worth it.

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