If John Lynch was trying to throw other teams off the scent, he did it with a straight face.
On Tuesday, KNBR’s hosts asked Lynch whether the 49ers’ zero-sack day in Sunday’s 29-20 loss to the Falcons raised the need for defensive line help. Lynch said no.
“Do we have the right people? I think so, because the body of work that we’ve seen throughout the course of this year has been pretty good,” Lynch said. “I think our personnel is fine.”
Hours later, San Francisco agreed to send a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Colts for DeForest Buckner.
At the time, Lynch pushed back on the idea that the front was the problem. The Falcons stayed ahead of the chains with Bijan Robinson and a strong run-blocking line, Lynch said, which left the 49ers in tough spots
to rush Michael Penix Jr. Penix finished 25-for-34 for 213 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover.
“We just had a kind of a clunker of a day from that standpoint,” Lynch said.
That mentality made sense, given Nick Bosa was still out with a calf injury and the line has been thin all season. Rookies Romello Height and Gracen Halton have dealt with ailments, Osa Odighizuwa and Keion White have been the steadiest starters, and Mykell Williams is ramping up after his 2025 ACL injury.
However, Lynch didn't waste time bringing Buckner back into the fold in a move that will surely help the beleaguered defensive front. Buckner played for the 49ers from 2016 to 2019 before being traded to Indianapolis and now has a chance to contribute immediately in Raheem Morris' defense.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: John Lynch downplayed 49ers’ D-line need hours before Buckner trade
