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San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch joined The Rich Eisen Show on NBC Sports on Tuesday. During the conversation, he discussed the offseason rumors that ran rampant regarding the possibility of Tom Brady heading to the Bay Area.
There were internal discussions about Brady between Lynch and Shanahan, the general manager admitted. When the possibility presented itself to acquire one of the greatest ever to play the game, the two felt obligated to weigh the pros and cons of potentially pursuing Brady.
After mulling it over for a bit, the two decided that they liked what they have in their current quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, and weren't willing to shake things up by adding the 42-year-old Brady.
Said Lynch: "But within a day or two, Kyle and I looked at each other and said, 'You know what? We really like what we have in Jimmy.' We love everything that he brings, and we really believe it's a long-term answer."
Some within the media (ahem ... Mike Florio) repeatedly called for the 49ers to make a public statement showing their support for Garoppolo as the Brady-to-49ers chatter escalated. Most fans felt Lynch had sufficiently done so at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, and it wasn't needed. It turns out, that was Lynch's and Shanahan's thinking, too, so they opted not to repeat themselves.
"Kyle and I had just made a statement at the Combine how much we believed in Jimmy," said Lynch.
Garoppolo shouldered much of the blame for the 49ers' fourth-quarter collapse against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. Many within the media started to question Shanahan's faith in his quarterback. The decision to stick with Garoppolo over pursuing Brady is a clear sign that the 49ers believe in Garoppolo.
"I would tell you we're more convicted than ever about who our quarterback is, in Jimmy Garoppolo," Lynch continued. "Really excited about, despite the challenges of getting better without a traditional offseason, that he can do that. The guy's done nothing but win since he's been here.
"A lot of people try to pick his game apart for whatever reason. All I know is the guy wins football games, and he's a tremendous teammate. Very talented young man, and I think his best football is still ahead of him."
Lynch and Shanahan did keep Garoppolo informed of their thought process during their discussions about Brady, though. In the end, San Francisco passed on Brady thanks to great faith in Garoppolo, who guided the Niners to the Super Bowl in his first full NFL season as a starter.
"So we're as committed to Jimmy as ever," Lynch added, "and we've had those discussions with him, and that's what was important. If you start chasing every rumor out there and start making a statement on it, you're doing that all the time. Yes, this was a bigger one. The important thing was that we talked to Jimmy and told him exactly what I told you."
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By David Bonilla
Apr 18
On Wednesday, Chat Sports contributor Chase Senior reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers were "aggressively pursuing" San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He further stated that the Steelers are confident they can finalize a deal for the star player.
REPORTS: The Pittsburgh Steelers are aggressively pursuing a Brandon Aiyuk trade and the Steelers would be "surprised" if they don't land Aiyuk. Of note: Pittsburgh has the 20th overall pick. The Niners could look at that as equal value for Aiyuk if they can't get a deal done.…
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By Marc Adams
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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
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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
