49ers hire Broncos Ring of Fame safety John Lynch as GM
Jan 29, 2017, 9:51 PM
On Saturday, former Denver Broncos safety John Lynch will find out if a bronze bust of his likeness will make a permanent home at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
But in the meantime, Lynch will be making a home for himself with the San Francisco 49ers, as the club announced late Sunday that they hired the longtime NFL defender as its next general manager.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reports that the 49ers have offered Lynch a six-year deal, the same length of contract that sources told him the club world offer Kyle Shanahan at head coach.
49ers are giving John Lynch an almost unprecedented six-year deal to become their GM, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 30, 2017
Taking the role bring Lynch back to northern California, where he was a standout football and baseball player for the Stanford Cardinal before being selected in the third round in the 1993 NFL draft.
Lynch spent the bulk of his NFL career playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earning a Super Bowl win in 2000 with the Bucs.
Before the 2004 season, Lynch joined the Broncos, helping the defense to the AFC championship in just his second year in Denver.
Lynch, who played for Mike Shanahan in Denver, was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame in October.
Both Kyle Shanahan and Lynch would team up as the 49ers GM-head coaching duo, should the accept the expected San Francisco offer, despite neither having experience in either of their respective positions.
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Kyle Shanahan, who interviewed to replace Gary Kubiak as the Broncos head coach but ultimately lost out on the job to Vance Joseph, has nine years of experience as an offensive coordinator but has never held a head coaching position.
He’ll coach the Atlanta Falcons offense Sunday in Super Bowl LI in Houston
Lynch, who most recently served as a Fox color commentator for its NFL broadcasts, likewise has never held an executive position with an NFL team.
However, 9News Broncos Insider Mike Klis called the move a “major splash” despite the inexperience, that at the very least the duo becomes the “most exciting” in the league.
Got to hand it to 49ers. John Lynch-Kyle Shanahan is a major splash. Instantly most exciting GM-Head coach duo in NFL. #9sports
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) January 30, 2017
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.