The San Francisco 49ers have named Hall of Famer John Lynch as their new general manager. He succeeds Trent Baalke who was previously dismissed alongside head coach Chip Kelly.
The 45-year-old former NFL safety worked as a game analyst for Fox before coming to terms with the 49ers. The contract is reportedly for six years which Lynch formally accepted Sunday according to ESPN.
The hiring of John Lynch does give Jed York a sigh of relief though the choice did not escape criticism. A lot had to do with the fact that Lynch does not have any front-office experience, hinting that this could be a high-risk move for San Francisco. Lynch surprisingly got the nod over other notable names such as Brian Gutenkunst and Eliot Wolf of the Green Bay Packers, Terry McDonough, and George Paton.
Lynch is aware of the skepticism on his appointment and says he is eager to earn their trust. Aside from his non-experience for the general manager position, another surprising fact was the process only took two weeks to complete. Everything kicked off when the Atlanta Falcons faced the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC divisional playoff game.
It seems that rumored incoming head coach and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan had a hand in the Lynch hiring. The 45-year-old retired NFL player reveals that he and Shanahan spoke after the game and mentioned he had an interest in holding a management position – one that almost happened with the Denver Broncos a couple of years back, in another report from ESPN.
"If I'm going to bet on somebody, I'm going to bet on John Lynch," Shanahan said. "John has succeeded at everything. That's what excites me about him."
With Lynch officially onboard, all eyes are now on Shanahan. The 49ers cannot finalize anything with the 37-year-old coach until after Super Bowl LI. He is still tied up with the Atlanta Falcons who are set to face the New England Patriots at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Until that time comes, Lynch may do well to take in personnel who can help him in his new role. It remains to be seen what arrangement he and Shanahan would have once the latter finally comes on board.
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