Lynch and Shanahan now both with the 49ers for the long haul

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

The 49ers are following the advice of that old adage by agreeing to terms of a five-year deal with general manager John Lynch, a league source confirmed.

This new arrangement will keep Lynch with the club through the 2024 season alongside head coach Kyle Shanahan, who signed a six-year extension in June.

After a tumultuous three head coaches in as many years, the 49ers found a winning combination with Shanahan and Lynch at the helm. Things weren’t always rosy, however. The club saw only 10 wins in 2017 and 2018 combined.

CEO Jed York believed in what the two were building and stuck to his guns, wanting to promote confidence and consistency. In the team’s third season with Shanahan and Lynch at the helm, patience paid off and the team worked their way to an appearance at Super Bowl LIV. York’s idea to sign both men to six-year deals paid off.

Now Santa Clara has become a much coveted destination for players. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and former Washington left tackle Trent Williams are just two examples. Players are willing to take less profitable deals for the opportunity to play for the 49ers.

Shanahan’s reputation as an offensive genius and Lynch’s ability to build a very tight-knit locker room are now well known throughout the league.

The timing of both extensions may at first seem to be disjointed, but when looked at more closely, is understandable.

As a first time head coach in 2017, Shanahan’s original six-year $30 million deal placed him at the lower end of the market. In 2020, after proven success, the 49ers needed to reward their play caller as salaries of his NFL counterparts steadily went up.

Lynch’s first six-year deal reportedly paid him at the top end of the general manager market. Coming from the FOX broadcast booth, the 49ers had to make to worth his while to leave. Also, there is much less turnover for general managers, keeping their salaries more steady in comparison to head coaches.

Still, among other reasons, the 49ers wanted to prevent creating a power play between the two top positions in the franchise. Thus, a parallel extension with Lynch was “on the horizon” as the general manager hinted in an appearance on KNBR this week.

It could be argued that a lack of equality was why the professional marriage between Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh (and several other head coaches) didn’t last. The 49ers have now ensured consistency for their organization for the foreseeable future which should help the 49ers Faithful sleep much better at night.