San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch spoke to reporters following Tuesday's practice. It was the first time Lynch has publicly spoken since the death of Bay Area icon Dwight Clark on Monday after his battle with ALS.
As a tribute to the legendary 49ers receiver, the team's staff and employees, including Lynch, all wore matching shirts with a silhouette of "The Catch" and Clark's No. 87 on them. They were the same shirts given out to fans during "Dwight Clark Day" at Levi's Stadium on October 22, 2017.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was the only one who wore a different shirt, but it was still a
No. 87 jersey-style shirt.
"I think the one thing that's been impressed upon me since I've been here, I think just the love that this community and this fanbase had for Dwight," Lynch said. "You think of Ronnie (Lott), and you think of Jerry (Rice), but what I learned when I came here is that Dwight is right there."
Lynch remembers meeting with Clark after taking on the general manager job with the 49ers.
"I think, gosh, in my second week on the job, Jed (York) asked him to come up," Lynch said. "I had met Dwight a few times, but Jed asked him to come up, and I think there were some parallels, him coming from the player route into that role (EVP and director of football operations, general manager) that he served.
"And we just talked, and we visited, and talked about his challenge. I gave him my best. But really, he was more there for me and just talking about some pointers and whatnot. I will always value that.
"On one other occasion, I went down with Keena (Turner) to one of those lunches down in Capitola and laughed the entire time because he made us laugh. [It was] just a treat to get to know him."
What advice did Clark give Lynch when the two spent time together at the request of 49ers CEO Jed York?
"His advice was, 'Trust your instincts. You know football,'" Lynch said. "It was very similar to what John Elway told me, who came from a similar path. 'Don't make this more than it is. Hire good people around you.' And then, like you'd expect out of Dwight, 'Also, have some fun doing this. It should be fun. This is football. You had fun playing. Have some fun in this role. Don't take it too seriously.'
"That will always stick with me."
The current 49ers regime has done a fantastic job of embracing the franchise's history while trying to re-create what made those teams so special. In addition to honoring former 49ers greats, the team has invited them to speak to the current players as a reminder of what the organization is striving toward.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan asked former linebacker Keena Turner, who currently serves as the Vice President and Special Advisor to the General Manager, to speak to the entire team before Tuesday's practice about Clark's impact on the organization.
"Those [former players] earned that," Lynch said. "We have to earn it. When we ask these guys to be around, it's not to try to use them for anything other than a great example of what we strive to be. We really know that we have to go create that ourselves. But, gosh, when those guys come out here -- we showed a film today, and I think the guys really enjoyed that. I think they really enjoyed Keena talk about his teammate, and why he was so important to their turnaround and their becoming champions."
The 49ers hope to honor Clark in some way during the upcoming season.
"We're talking about a lot of things," Lynch said. "I know (49ers president) Al Guido is talking with the league about what we can do and I know there's always approval there, but I promise you we'll come up with a nice way to honor him. I think not only nice but fitting. He deserves it. He's earned it.
"I've talked about how beloved he is with this fanbase, and he earned that. So I think we'll do the right thing and be happy to do so."
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that Dre Greenlaw will receive the Dwight Clark Award this year. The San Francisco 49ers linebacker will take the stage on Thursday, May 16, at the fourth annual Dwight Clark Legacy Series in San Jose to accept the prestigious award.
Each year, a current 49ers player is honored with the Dwight Clark Legacy Award, presented to a player who best exemplifies the late receiver's spirit of teamwork. Linebacker Fred Warner was the recipient last year. Defensive lineman Arik Armstead, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, was the recipient in 2022, while tight end George Kittle earned the first-ever award in 2021.
"Dre is more than deserving of the 2024 Dwight Clark Award," Warner said of his teammate, per Maiocco. "The
We are less than one week away from the NFL Draft, and the San Francisco 49ers have their first day-one draft pick since 2021. That was the year they selected QB Trey Lance number three overall. The trade-up to get Lance cost the 49ers their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. And now that they are back in the first round, at pick 31, fans are anxious to see what the team does with the pick. And with former assistant GM, Adam Peters, now in Washington, it will be interesting to see how well the 49ers draft without Peters in the room.
We looked back at the seven drafts GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan have led to see what information we could pull from those drafts. There were plenty of hits, plenty of misses, and a few surprises along the way. The draft picks are
Rumors have swirled regarding the situation between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is entering his fifth NFL season and is slated to earn $14.124 million on a team-executed fifth-year option. Despite the 49ers publicly declaring a desire to sign Aiyuk to a contract extension, keeping him on the roster for the foreseeable future, many rumors have focused on potential trade interest.
On Monday, general manager John Lynch held his annual pre-draft press conference, addressing the Aiyuk situation without revealing any information on the conversations that have taken place behind closed doors. Once again, he emphasized that the 49ers want Aiyuk to remain with the team for the remainder of his career.
When asked if there was a chance Aiyuk
The decision to trade up in the 2021 NFL Draft and select quarterback Trey Lance could have had significant consequences for general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan. With the team lacking first-round picks in the last two drafts due to this move, and Lance no longer on the roster after being traded to the Dallas Cowboys before last season, it's clear the gamble didn't unfold as expected.
Lynch held his annual pre-draft press conference on Monday, reflecting on the decision to take such a big chance on Lance. While such a bold move might have jeopardized jobs elsewhere, Lynch and Shanahan were blessed with some good fortune in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Acknowledging the support of the team's ownership, Lynch stated, "They believe in Kyle and I, and our
