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There's no doubt that San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch admits the struggles from last year, especially how they were eliminated from playoff contention, a year removed from a Super Bowl berth. Lynch would speak about another regret from the past, which involves a heavily rumored 49ers wide receiver in Brandon Aiyuk, relating to the contract extension talks from before.
As many fans remembered, the negotiation process between Aiyuk and San Francisco was a long and laborious process that ultimately ended in a four-year, $120 million deal. Even before the frustration of Aiyuk missing the majority of a season with an early injury, Lynch would admit on his and Aiyuk's part that it could have been handled better, according to his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“Looking back on the Brandon [Aiyuk] situation, I think every situation that you go through in life, in football, in this job, it's a learning opportunity,” Lynch said. “You know, I look at things like that, like what could we have done differently to have made that a little more seamless. And sometimes those things are tough. They can be contentious. There's things that I learned that, yeah, would we have done some things differently.”
49ers' John Lynch on Brandon Aiyuk's recovery
While there's been speculation around the relationship between Aiyuk and the 49ers, there's no denying that there's been open communication between Lynch and the pass-catcher. Lynch would say that it is normal for families to go through “little spats,” which end with a “big hug at the end.”
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“And I think Brandon and I have had these conversations, there are things he would have done differently? Absolutely,” Lynch said. “But one thing I think in families, you know, you have little spats and then you give a big hug at the end, and you work together. And that's where we're at. And Brandon's doing a tremendous job coming back.”
Despite the trade rumors swirling, Lynch has said time and time again that Aiyuk is tracking nicely to make a return health-wise and contribute to the team as he did, according to 49erswebzone.com.
“Brandon’s tracking in a good way with his knee, and you’ve just got to kind of let that play out,” Lynch said. “We’re not going to put him out there until he’s ready, but we’re excited with our receiver group and where we’re at.”
At any rate, San Francisco is looking to improve after finishing with a 6-11 record, which put them last in the NFC West.
