The New York Post's Andrew Marchand's report that—sort of—included San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch's name on a list of candidates to replace Troy Aikman at FOX caused rumors to fly around the media landscape.
I say "sort of" because Lynch wasn't actually on Marchand's list of candidates. Instead, the reporter stated that FOX is waiting to see if a mystery candidate, like Lynch, emerges during their search. However, everyone just kind of ran with it, making it sound like Lynch was a legitimate candidate because...well...I'm not sure why. Maybe because it makes for more buzzworthy headlines.
According to a separate report by Marchand, Lynch was a candidate for another broadcasting job—one with Amazon. Amazon will become the exclusive broadcaster of "Thursday Night Football" during the upcoming season and is trying to build its broadcast team that may include Al Michaels.
It sounds like Amazon's interest in Lynch got a little further than just the company hoping to land the 49ers general manager.
"Amazon held talks with current 49ers GM and ex-TV analyst John Lynch, according to sources, but it did not lead to a deal," reports Marchand.
It's unknown when those specific talks took place.
Rumors that Lynch might contemplate returning to the broadcast booth started after the season when Boomer Esiason said the 49ers GM could be interested in a job change. Lynch quickly shot down the speculation while speaking with reporters at his end-of-season press conference.
"From time to time, opportunities are presented, and I can tell you, and tell everyone that my commitment right now is to this organization," Lynch said. "We're just coming off a season, but my commitment is to the 49ers, the York family, to Kyle (Shanahan)."
Lynch has served as the 49ers' general manager since 2017 and signed a contract extension in 2020, keeping him with the team through the 2024 season. However, if Lynch ever decided to leave the Niners, assistant general manager Adam Peters might become the most likely candidate to replace him.
Lynch added, "I feel like it's a real blessing to be part of this organization, so my commitment is right here, and that's where I'll be."
Update: According to Marchand, the talks between Amazon and Lynch involved a dinner. The reporter speculates that the offer could have tripled the general manager's salary, reportedly around $5 million annually. Marchand states that Lynch declined, opting to remain with the 49ers.
"The Lynch option, I think, is closed," added Marchand.
Amazon reached out to Lynch, according to sources. There was a dinner. Lynch probably could have tripled his salary, which is reportedly around $5M as the GM. Lynch, I'm told, declined and wanted to remain in the front office. https://t.co/kq6YQ94KTj https://t.co/yw7PQBUxX1
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) February 25, 2022