San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters for the first time since Thursday night, and for the first time since the announcement of veteran offensive tackle Joe Staley's retirement.
Lynch told reporters that Staley had informed the 49ers of his decision before the start of the draft. That's when he and Shanahan put more of an emphasis on trading for former Washington tackle Trent Williams.
While Staley's playing days are over, the 49ers hope he isn't a stranger and would welcome him remaining a part of the organization in some fashion.
"There has been some discussion. Everything is so new," Shanahan said. "I know how important it is for Jed (York) to have veterans, to have people who are alumni (around). Basically, people who have played here and done things for this organization. I know how much Jed likes having those guys around.
"When you have a guy like Joe, with how good he was, his personality, how everyone likes to have him around, I know us, as a coaching staff, we'll have Joe anywhere he wants to be.
"Whatever Joe wants to do in his life, whether it's professional karaoke singer, professional dad, hang around the building at the Niners, or go do standup somewhere, he's going to be alright. I hope he's a part of us, though. We like having him around."
Whether he decides to be around or not, Staley will forever be a big part of the iconic 49ers franchise thanks to his contributions during his 13 NFL seasons.
"We envision Joe being around a lot," Lynch added. "We've had preliminary discussions on that, just letting him know he's always welcome, and I think he's excited about that. And we are, as well."
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