49ers' Richard Sherman not bothered by ex-teammate Earl Thomas' comments

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SANTA CLARA – Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman on Wednesday said he is not finding any additional motivation in the comments of his former teammate.

Baltimore Ravens safety Earl Thomas expressed skepticism that the 49ers can make it to the Super Bowl this season. The 49ers (10-1) travel to face the Ravens (9-2) on Sunday in a matchup of two of the NFL's top teams.

“It don’t make no never mind to me,” said Sherman after Thomas’ quotes were read to him. “I don’t really worry about that. We’re a 10-1 ballclub. We’re going to continue to do what we’ve done to get to where we’re at. Worrying about what other people say isn’t going to change how we’re going to play. We got to go out and execute.

“They’re a good team. We’ll go out and let the chips fall where they may. This is the regular season. This isn’t the playoffs, so whether you win or lose this game, nobody goes home. You have another game after this. At the end of the day, statements like that are irrelevant in the grand scheme. There’s a long time between now and February. And we hope to take it a game at a time, and we’ll see what happens.”

On Wednesday, Thomas was quoted as saying whichever NFC team faces Baltimore in the Super Bowl will have a tough time.

"You think the 49ers are going to the Super Bowl?" Thomas said. "It could be. Let’s see. When the Super Bowl comes, whoever we play, they’re going to be in trouble."

Sherman said all the talk and declarations are meaningless at this stage of the regular season.

“At the end of the day, the game speaks for itself on Sunday,” Sherman said. “The score will speak for itself, whatever that will be. In February, whoever’s playing will be playing.

“He didn’t really say anything that personally offended me at all. If he did, there’d be a conversation.”

Thomas and Sherman were teammates for seven seasons while with the Seattle Seahawks. Thomas was selected to six Pro Bowls and made first-team All-Pro three times. Sherman made four Pro Bowls and was a first-time All-Pro three times.

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Now, they are both key members of two of the NFL’s hottest teams. And it's no surprise to Sherman that they are again associated with winning teams.

“I don’t think that’s coincidental,” Sherman said. “I think you got generational players that play the game at an incredibly high level and it’s not coincidental that where we go, there’s success. I expected him to have success. I’m happy that we’re having success and we’re playing good football.

“He’ll get a gold jacket at the end of his playing days. He’s one of the best safeties to ever play this game. It’s going to be a fun matchup.”

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