SAN JOSÉ. Calif. — Trent Sherfield thought five months ago that he could be standing in San Francisco, answering questions in the midst of preparations for a Super Bowl. He just figured it would be with a Denver Broncos logo on his sweatshirt — and that he’d be getting ready to play.

Instead, he’s a member of the Patriots’ practice squad — from which he was cut one day before the AFC Championship Game. It’s the second practice squad of which he’s been a part in the last month; he closed the regular season with the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad, but didn’t sign a reserve-future contract after the season, which made him eligible to sign elsewhere one week later.

So, when the Patriots went to Denver and knocked out his former club, Sherfield was back in Nashville watching on television. He wasn’t even at home; he was in a hotel room since the winter storm that ransacked much of the Southeast had knocked out power at his house. Sherfield knew he’d be back with New England — but only if they could eke past the Broncos in the snow.

“It’s been wild, but it’s also been a blessing as well, too. Like, I would have never thought that I would be right here,” Sherfield said.

“In my mind, I’m with Denver. I’ll be there for the next two years, all those different things … It’s been a little bit of trials, but also, just obviously being here is a blessing.”

Sherfield arrived in San José in the shadows, a face in the crowd in the chaos of Super Bowl Opening Night. Barring a disastrous set of circumstances, he’ll watch Super Bowl LX in sweats, a sideline spectator for a team he barely knows, representing a city and a region he only calls home through a hotel.

Such is life in the place where NFL stands for “Not For Long.” It’s possible that might describe his Patriots stint unless they opt to re-sign him.

What will be left from this season is a harsh lesson: In the NFL, you can’t make a two-year plan and you control precious little.

“I think for me, man, the one thing that I’ve learned is, write your plans in pencil,” Sherfield said. “And really just lean on God and just trust him and just let him drive. Get out of the driver’s seat. You get in the passenger seat.”

 

 

“A BIG SHOCK” WHEN BRONCOS CUT HIM

Sherfield’s playing time with the Broncos offense had declined from September through October of last season, and his special-teams snap count hit a season-low five in Week 10 against Las Vegas. Considering that the Broncos signed him last March for his proficiency in that area, that should have augured poorly for his future prospects.

Nevertheless, when the Broncos waived him Nov. 15 — one day before their home win over Kansas City — it was a “big shock,” as Sherfield described it.

“Sean [Payton] had called me up and we spoke. He’s real cordial about it. Talk with George [Paton] and Sean,” Sherfield said. “I was shocked by it. And I think some other people were also shocked by it as well, too. My agent was shocked by it.”

Sherfield doesn’t hold any ill will toward the Broncos, and acknowledged that on offense, the rise of Pat Bryant — the rookie receiver he mentored — likely played a role in his reduced workload. Sherfield averaged 23 snaps a game on offense in the season’s first four weeks, then saw 11.7 offensive snaps per contest in his final six games as a Bronco.

“We drafted Pat, who’s a great receiver, and he had a great year, and that’s my young guy, and I was always pushing for him to play, and I think he started to come along and obviously you had to get your capital out of your draft, and that kind of pushed me to the side a little bit,” Sherfield said.

But on special teams? That was to be Sherfield’s core job.

“Special teams wasn’t what I thought it was going to be,” Sherfield said. “And I just think that it just mutually wasn’t, and I think that’s kind of what led to our departing.”

The Broncos had cut another veteran special-teams addition during training camp, Sam Franklin. The unit struggled in the first half of the season. But as it turned out, leadership emerged from younger players; Devon Key eventually grabbed the mantle and earned All-Pro honors.

Sherfield’s future lay upon a different path. No hard feelings. Just an altered plan. And as John Lennon noted, life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.

Now Sherfield’s life has him in the Super Bowl. Soon it will have him working out with his old teammate Bryant, meaning he’ll continue to play a role in guiding an important young part of the Broncos. So, he’ll still be involved with the orange and blue, in a way. That’s not a bad legacy, even though his 10-game stint will be a footnote in team history.