John Lynch had a message for 49ers fans this week: Don’t worry.
The general manager of the 49ers and his team are negotiating with representatives of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, trying to work out a long-term deal. Though nothing has been finalized, Lynch says he’s confident it will happen.
Lynch told the NFL Network at the Senior Bowl that a long-term contract “makes too much sense not to happen.”
“When you find the right guy at that position it’s really good for your franchise,” said Lynch, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. “We believe we found the right guy. Now the challenge is getting Jimmy signed. We’re working hard toward that. We’ll see. I think he wants to be with us and we want him there. So I think it makes too much sense not to happen. … It’s just a matter of getting it done.”
Once Garoppolo took over at quarterback, the 49ers won five straight games to finish 6-10 in 2017. Suddenly, Lynch, head coach Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the 49ers leadership team had found their long-term quarterback without having to go into this year’s draft or free-agent season still looking. It was, wrote Marc Sessler of NFL.com, a terrific acquisition that changed the trajectory of the entire organization.
“Garoppolo’s presence served as a raging quickening agent for Lynch’s team-building process,” wrote Sessler. “Instead of having to spend a sky-high draft pick on a college quarterback, the 49ers can simply build around Jimmy G, who was nabbed from New England for nothing more than a second-round pick. Barring a massive and unexpected downswing in Garoppolo’s production, Lynch’s trade for Tom Brady’s backup looms as one of the biggest bargains in recent league history.
“Look for the Niners to do whatever it takes to get their newly minted franchise arm under contract as soon as possible.”
