Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
I'll start with a couple of topics we haven't already touched upon—Javon Kinlaw and
Jason Verrett. San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch, speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, provided updates on both defenders. Kinlaw and Verrett missed most of this past season.
After appearing in just four games, Kinlaw underwent reconstructive surgery to repair his ACL. Verrett suffered a torn ACL in Week 1.
Javon Kinlaw
Lynch told reporters that Kinlaw could theoretically be back in time for the 49ers' offseason program in the spring, but there is no reason to rush his return.
"We want to make sure he is [fully] rehabbed," Lynch said via David Lombardi of The Athletic. "
We won't want to rush this because he's so critical to our success. He's got such a high ceiling. We want to see him healthy."
The 49ers hope the decision to have Kinlaw undergo surgery will eliminate the lingering knee issues that have plagued him.
Lynch added, "Looking back, (surgery) was probably the right decision to allow him to fully realize his talent, which is vast."
Jason Verrett
Verrett is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after signing a one-year deal with the team last offseason. However, the 49ers have not closed the door on the oft-injured veteran cornerback returning to the team in 2022.
"That position,
you can't have enough of them, and Jason is a really good one, when healthy. His problem has been staying healthy," Lynch said via NBC Sports Bay Area.
Lynch and the 49ers are monitoring Verrett's recovery, hoping to give the cornerback another chance if it looks like he could contribute in 2022.
"We're interested to see -- we hear, talking to him, and talking to his agent, he really has a want to get back, and so we'll monitor that closely and see where he's at," Lynch said. "We'll see if that's a possibility."
Aaron Banks
Despite playing in just five snaps all of last season, Lynch says the 49ers remain high on last year's second-round pick, offensive lineman
Aaron Banks.
"There's a narrative because Aaron didn't play, there must be something wrong with him," Lynch said via Lombardi. "Quite the contrary. Aaron really grew, he really reshaped his body, and we're really excited about getting him out there and letting him compete. This is a huge offseason for him."
Other Notes
NFL teams are interested in Jimmy Garoppolo despite the quarterback getting ready to undergo shoulder surgery in the next week or so.
While Lynch points to last year's No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance, being the likely starter in 2022, the general manager
hasn't closed the door on Garoppolo possibly returning. Said Lynch: "
Jimmy's a part of us right now. A lot of people need or want quarterbacks right now, and he's obviously a guy they'd look at. Yes, we have listened, but he's a part of us."
Lynch called defensive end
Nick Bosa and wide receiver
Deebo Samuel "foundational" pieces of the roster and
declared they would remain 49ers. Both are eligible for contract extensions. Lynch said, "The timing, I have no idea, but we'll go to work here, and have been working, to try to do something."
Lynch confirmed that he was approached about a possible return to broadcasting. However,
he turned down the offer to remain with the 49ers. One report stated that Amazon offered a salary of about $15 million, believed to be three times Lynch's current salary with the 49ers. "That is a lot of money, though," Lynch said while laughing. "I can't believe they're paying that much for people that talk football. It's unbelievable."
Tackle Mike McGlinchey's rehab from surgery to repair the torn quad suffered on November 7, 2021,
is "going really well," said Lynch. Like Kinlaw, the 49ers will give their offensive lineman the time he needs to get back to 100 percent.
Lynch is optimistic that center Alex Mack will not retire and
return for his 14th NFL season.
Running backs coach Bobby Turner will miss the 2022 season after undergoing knee surgeries. However, he plans to
return to coaching in 2023. "Bobby makes it very clear that he's coming back, and we make it very clear that he's always welcome," Lynch said.
The 49ers like their depth at running back, especially with the two players they drafted last year—Trey Sermon and
Elijah Mitchell. Said Lynch: "
Trey is someone we're really excited about, as we are with Elijah. We like our depth in that room, and it's not bad to be able to turn to Deebo when you need a player too."
Lynch admits that D.J. Jones' impressive 2021 campaign could make re-signing the defensive tackle "challenging." He added, "That would be a tough one to lose, but there might be that chance."
Lynch would love to see running back Raheem Mostert re-sign with the 49ers but acknowledges some risk in bringing him back, given the injury history. According to Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area, the general manager said, "
It's high risk, but I think there's high reward too. I'm sure a lot of teams are thinking about that too. I know how fond [Dolphins head coach] Mike McDaniel was of him."
Related News
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
As customary, NFL teams engage in preliminary discussions about potential draft trades during owner meetings. The San Francisco 49ers currently hold the No. 31 spot in the first round but appear receptive to moving either up or down. The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night.
General manager John Lynch addressed reporters on Monday and acknowledged the wide range of possibilities. However, he noted that any potential discussions about trading spots with other teams will likely intensify later in the week.
"It's going to be an interesting year," Lynch stated. "I think it's an interesting draft class. I was just looking at my notes and one interesting thing to me, dynamic, and the way of the world right now, we put a grade on players in the fall if we think
