SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Trent Sherfield Sr. doesn't just want to be a pass-catcher.
Or a blocker. Or a critical special-teams contributor.
As the Broncos' veteran free-agent addition began to show in Saturday's 30-9 win over the 49ers, he expects himself to contribute in all facets.
"I pride myself on just trying to be a complete football player," Sherfield said postgame. "Not one, not the other. [I'm] just trying to be a whole football player."
Sherfield led all receivers with three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, and he caught back-to-back passes on a late first-half drive that padded Denver's lead. On the latter reception, Sherfield hauled in an over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone while narrowly keeping his feet in bounds.
"That was a heck of a catch," Head Coach Sean Payton said.
Payton said the initial vision for Sherfield after signing him in March in free agency was as the fifth receiver and a four-core special teamer, and he equated the veteran to former Saints receivers Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem. In the passing game, Henderson recorded three seasons with at least 30 catches for 745 yards and multiple touchdowns, while Meachem went over the 600-yard mark in three consecutive seasons from 2009-11. The latter also caught 20 touchdowns across that three season stretch.
"You can look at that, and say, 'Well, they're going to run the ball when they're in there,'" Payton said of the two former Saints. "And then it came off of heavy play-action, and there were a lot of shot plays."
Sherfield's most productive offensive season came in 2022, as he recorded 30 catches for 417 yards and two touchdowns. Following Sherfield's passing-game contributions on Saturday, Payton noted "there are some things maybe that he even surprises you with." The performance came on the heels of what Payton called a "good week" for the veteran receiver, and the Broncos' head coach lauded Sherfield's approach.
"I think he's had a good camp," Payton said. "He's a very serious player, very focused player. Intentional would be a good word to describe how he approaches the game."
Quarterback Bo Nix, who has frequently connected with Sherfield during training camp, said he's "what you want as a receiver" in terms of his blocking and receiving ability.
"He's been a great surprise, a great addition for us as a whole," Nix said.
Sherfield, who played at least 40 percent of the special teams snaps for his respective team in five of the last six seasons, said he was intentional about picking the Broncos in free agency. He said Saturday he picked a team that "catered to the type of player that I am," citing both Payton's offensive system and Special Teams Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach Darren Rizzi's approach in that facet.
"I thought it was a no-brainer for me to come here," Sherfield said.
As Sherfield tries to deliver the impact the Broncos expected him to make — and perhaps more — he said he's remaining focused on the small steps that can get him there.
"Honestly, I've just been trying to take it one day at a time," Sherfield said. "This is my eighth training camp, and I know how these things can go. I'm really just trying to stay even-keeled and just take it one day at a time, one practice at a time. Just grateful for the opportunity to be here [and] to be able to kind of showcase those things that coach is talking about."
