49ers' Richard Sherman Talks Nick Bosa's Tweets on Colin Kaepernick, More

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman isn't concerned about newly drafted defensive end Nick Bosa's history of controversy on social media, provided the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft produces on the field.

According to the Sacramento Bee (h/t ESPN.com), Sherman is primarily focused on how Bosa will help the Niners from a football perspective: "One thing about football is that nobody really cares what you say if you can play. At the end of the day, I think a guy that has played with African Americans his whole life, not saying he can't be racist, but they know how to maneuver around African Americans."

Bosa once called former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick a "clown" on social media for his decision to kneel during the playing of the national anthem in protest against social and racial injustice in the United States. Sherman has been an outspoken supporter of Kaepernick in recent years.

As noted by ESPN.com, Bosa "scrubbed" his social media of any potentially controversial or insensitive content in the lead-up to the draft, and he previously liked some homophobic and racist posts on Instagram.

After San Francisco took Bosa with the second overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft out of Ohio State, he apologized for his activity during his introductory press conference:

"I definitely made some insensitive decisions throughout my life and I'm just excited to be here with a clean slate. I'm sorry if I hurt anybody. I definitely didn't intend for that to be the case but I think me being here is even better for me as a person because I don't think there's any city that you could really be in that would help you grow as much as this one will.

"I'm going to be surrounded by people, all different kinds, so I'm going to grow as a person and I'm going to be on my own. College, you have kind of like that support system around you. Now I'm here, I'm going to be on my own, I'm going to grow up, I'm going to learn a lot of new things."

Considering his experience playing alongside players of other ethnic groups in college, Sherman doesn't anticipate Bosa being an issue or distraction:

"When you're at Ohio State, it's not like Ohio State's an all-white school. So I don't think that's going to ever be an issue. I think, at the end of the day, your beliefs are your beliefs ... but when you're in the building and you're a football player and you're a teammate, you handle yourself accordingly. And I think he understands that."

Entering the 2019 draft, Bosa was widely viewed as the top pass-rusher and one of the top overall players in his class. Despite missing all but three games last season because of injury, Bosa finished with 14 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks.

Nick Bosa Highlights Updated Alert

00:29

As a sophomore, he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and the Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year award winner with 34 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

If he carries that production over to the NFL, Sherman doesn't foresee the rest of the 49ers roster having a problem with Bosa:

"It's not like something where guys are like, 'Hey man, what about what you said?' No. No. If he can play, he can play. If he can't play, he won't be here. But at the end of the day, that's all that matters in football. Is he getting sacks on Sunday? Is he helping our team? Is he being a good teammate? Those are things that matter. Now, if he's a bad teammate, that's something we'll address."

Bosa is set to join a Niners team that has improved significantly from a pass-rushing perspective this offseason.

In addition to drafting Bosa, the 49ers acquired Pro Bowl edge-rusher Dee Ford in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. Bosa and Ford will join defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who led the team with 12 sacks and was named to his first Pro Bowl last season.

The Niners have a chance to boast one of the NFL's top defensive lines in 2019, and if Bosa pulls his weight in that regard, the conversation will likely be focused on football more so than what he said or did in the past.