Less than a week after Joe Staley said there was no place he’d rather be than 4949 Marie DeBartolo Way, general manager John Lynch revealed that the front office doesn’t want him anywhere else either.
Staley, a six time Pro Bowler, is only under contract through the end of 2019, which will be his 13th season. But there seems to be little concern about his future with the club even though there is no extension in place.
Lynch explained that all parties involved, including coach Kyle Shanahan and the front office have a common goal.
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“I’m not going to get into the specifics of where we’re going on all that,” Lynch said. “But I’ll just tell you that my hope and Kyle’s hope, everybody associated that is involved in this decision, is that Joe never plays any place else but the San Francisco 49ers.”
According to Lynch, Staley, who will turn 35 this August, is still playing at a very high level. He has also been a great mentor for Mike McGlinchey and the two have become inseparable around the facility.
“We’re very pleased with Joe Staley and the way he’s playing,” Lynch said. “I think he’s a special player. He’s a special personality.”
Lynch has said repeatedly that the team will always look to improve at every position through both free agency and the draft. However, when asked about needing to look for a tackle in this year’s draft, Lynch had a slightly different response.
San Francisco 49ers
“I think you’re always looking at the lines and trying to equip yourself for what’s to come,” Lynch said. “But, I’ll say this about Joe Staley, Joe has a unique opportunity. We all know what he’s meant to this organization. He’s got a unique opportunity to be a part of this organization and my hope is that he only plays for one organization.”
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When asked about the status of DeForest Buckner’s future, Lynch expressed a desire for a similar one-team path, but noted that it is a much earlier stage in his career. Lynch added that there is still a lot of time to work out an extension for the defensive lineman.
“Yeah, it is extremely early in that process,” Lynch said. “I would like to say the same thing about DeForest. He’s a little younger in his career, but I would love nothing more than for DeFo to be here. We’ve got a long time to work on that.
“He’s very important to us. He’s another guy who’s a big part of what we’re doing. Just love everything about him and the way he goes about his business, his profession. I think he’s a special player and we’d like to keep him here for a long time.”