In February last year, Anthony Lynn had already put his former team, the Detroit Lions, in the rearview mirror. He spent only one season in Detroit, serving as the offensive coordinator on Dan Campbell's staff. You could tell it wasn't the best experience for Lynn. Last offseason, when asked about the Lions' future, Lynn responded, "Well, that ain't my problem anymore. I'm just worried about what the 49ers are going to do now."
Lynn had agreed to join Kyle Shanahan's staff in Santa Clara, serving as the San Francisco 49ers' assistant head coach and running backs coach. There was a sense of familiarity there. After all, Lynn has remained close with the Shanahan family over the years, having played running back for Kyle's father, Mike, in Denver.
Kyle Shanahan was in high school back then, serving as a ball boy for the Broncos. Lynn probably never thought he would be playing for that kid. That kid grew up and helped build a culture in Santa Clara that was a pleasant surprise to Lynn, reminding him of those Broncos teams of the past.
"Man, you have established quite a culture here," Lynn told Shanahan after soaking in his new surroundings.
Lynn had head coaching experience, serving in the role with the Los Angeles Chargers for four seasons (2017-20). He was fired in January of 2021 after finishing with a 7-9 record, missing the playoffs. The culture difference between the Chargers and the 49ers was like night and day.
"This organization will do whatever it takes to win," Lynn told Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. "Resources out the [ears]. That was different for me compared to what I was going through in L.A. So it's just like, man, this is what it's supposed to be like. I forgot how that felt."
Over the years, Lynn forged a strong friendship with wide receiver Ed McCaffrey. The two were teammates with the New York Giants and Broncos. They just missed each other in San Francisco, where Lynn played for two seasons (1995-96).
Now, Lynn is coaching another McCaffrey, Ed's son. The Niners traded for star running back Christian McCaffrey in October and have lost only one game since—McCaffrey's first game in a Niners uniform, one in which he had about 48 hours to prepare. San Francisco has won 11 games since, including this past weekend's playoff win over the Seattle Seahawks. The start of the win streak coinciding with McCaffrey's arrival is probably no coincidence.
Lynn admits that Ed McCaffrey wasn't that good when he arrived in the league. However, by the time the two were reunited in Denver, that had changed.
"I just watched his work ethic, how he took care of himself, what he put in his body, how he trained, how he knew exactly where to be at the right time, right place," Lynn said. "He became the best route runner in the NFL."
The coach sees that same work ethic and desire in the younger McCaffrey.
"Ed passed that gene right down to his son," Lynn said. "Christian is so much like his dad. I'm telling him that all the time: 'That reminds me of Ed.'"
Lynn, McCaffrey, and the 49ers hope to keep their win streak alive on Sunday when they host the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
