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San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch joined KNBR on Thursday and provided a few injury updates. There wasn't a lot of new information provided, as we know where many of the injured Niners are right now.
Jimmy Garoppolo is week-to-week with a high-ankle sprain but is fighting to get back on the football field. He has, however, missed two practices this week, which reduces his already slim chances of playing on Sunday against the New York Giants.
George Kittle is being George Kittle and could get back on the field on Sunday, just two weeks after suffering an MCL sprain and bone bruise.
"George has done a really good job, like he always does, attacking," Lynch said on the
Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks show. "... And like most gifted athletes, they tend to heal a little quicker. George has been out there in a limited basis in practice. I think we'll have a meeting of the minds with a bunch of people, our medical team, and George himself, and Kyle (Shanahan), and make a good decision there that's best for George and best for our team."
Lynch also discussed defensive end Dee Ford's most recent injury. There doesn't appear to be a timetable for the veteran pass rusher's return. The general manager shared that it's not like a hamstring injury, for which you can approximate what the recovery time might be.
Ford is dealing with a back and neck injury that flared up last week.
"He wakes up, stiff neck," Lynch said. "Next thing you know, he's got some signals going on throughout his body. And next thing you know, some back (issues) with a guy who's had a little bit of history with that.
"What we understand, in talking to the doctors -- and it's not as if we don't have a plan. It's just there's a little bit of unknown to it. That thing has to quiet down, and when it does, we can build him back up and get him ready to play.
"I've talked to Dee. Dee's eager to do that. We've just got to kind of get through this. It's a little flared up right now, and it's got to quiet down before we start getting him ready to come back to play. But Dee's a big part of this team, and we're eagerly awaiting his return."
Then you have second-year wide receiver
Deebo Samuel, who must sit at least one more game before he's eligible to return from injured reserve.
"Deebo's doing well," Lynch said. "He's really improving. We felt like he was close [at the start of] the season, and it didn't quite happen. But maybe it's a blessing. It allowed this thing more time to heal, and we know he's an impact player when he's there.
"He's such a great teammate, though. He's here with us at The Greenbrier, working his tail off. He's, already in Year 2, assuming a kind of vocal leader role on this team. It's fun to have him around.
"He's a fun guy, always laughing, and always in a positive mood. Aside from that, being a tremendous player."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, it's common for the rumor mill to start churning, especially with players who are actively seeking a new contract. It was just two short years ago that WR Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers prior to draft day, only for cooler heads to prevail and eventually agree to a new deal.
Now, it's WR Brandon Aiyuk's turn to try and get paid and rumors surfaced over the weekend that he too would request to be dealt. While that report was quickly shot down by his agent, there's still a lot of discussion about Aiyuk's future and if other teams will come calling on draft night.
Legendary columnist Mike Silver joined
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
