San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch joined KNBR on Thursday morning and provided injury updates, how the rookies are playing, and some general thoughts about the state of the Niners.
Lynch said the initial thought when Mac Jones went down at SoFi Stadium last Thursday was that he blew out his knee. Jones was limited in practice on Wednesday with an oblique injury. However, Lynch is confident that the Niners’ backup will suit up this Sunday:
I think we feel pretty good about where he’s going
to be at. If you saw him play through that game, it was real-life stuff. You saw his toughness and grit. You saw a guy stepping up and playing through some things. I think Mac’s in good shape and will continue to work through it by Sunday. We’re hopeful and believe that he can be in a good spot.
Lynch said he couldn’t give an accurate timeline of Brock Purdy’s return. It’s more about when Purdy will feel healthy enough. So, for now, it’s the Mac Jones show.
Lynch also believes there’s a “good chance” that George Kittle returns next week. The team wants to ensure that when Kittle comes back, he can play like himself. There’s a chance Kittle can play right away, but Lynch didn’t rule out that Kittle might need to practice for a week before stepping onto the field.
Lynch gave cliché answers about the injured wide receivers. Brandon Aiyuk is “working hard” and “making strides.” Ricky Pearsall “still hasn’t given up hope” for this week, while Jauan Jennings is “doing everything he can” to play on Sunday.
We’re less than a month away from the trade deadline. The 49ers are 4-1 with something to play for. Lynch was asked if he’s any closer to trading for a pass rusher:
We’ll see. I’m having a lot of conversations. A lot of good and productive ones. It is a premium position. So teams don’t like just letting those guys out of the door when they are good football players. You have to identify the right guy who, number one, is going to help us.
I’ve been very clear. You’re not going to find a player that’s going to replace Nick Bosa and be as effective as him. That’s really difficult to do. But can you find someone who makes the entirety of our group better? That makes us collectively better. That’s more in line with what we’re looking for.
There are so many variables. You have to find a partner that makes sense. There’s plenty of discussions. Right now, I’m real proud of the way the effort our guys are playing with. If we find a way to make our football team better, and it aligns, then we will not be shy on pulling the trigger. But not for lack of putting in the work. If everything aligns, we’ll see.
The 49ers might benefit from teams like the Miami Dolphins, who have Bradley Chubb and Jaelen Phillips, or the New York Giants, with Kayvon Thibodeaux, bottoming out ahead of the trade deadline. That could make those teams more inclined to move off players.
Trey Hendrickson will be the most popular name, but the Bengals just traded for Joe Flacco. The AFC North is also a mess. The Bengals are 2-3 and only one game out of the division lead despite a -71 point differential. San Francisco may have to settle for the Arden Keys of the world.
But a lot can change in a month.
