Since 2017, the San Francisco 49ers’ front office has consisted of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
The franchise was in turmoil in the few years preceding, and now, in their ninth year together, the 49ers have reached two NFC Championship Games and two Super Bowls, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the biggest game on both occasions.
But there’s only one thing that Lynch has left to tick off as general manager, now the 49ers’ vice president of football operations.
John Lynch wants to win the ultimate prize in the NFL – the Super Bowl 
Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Unsurprisingly, Lynch wants to win a Super Bowl with the 49ers. For a famed franchise with five titles to its name, the expectation grows each year — and when you’ve built a competitive roster in all three phases, the goal inevitably becomes the expectation.
“I came here to get something done, and that was kind of to help a really proud organization get back on track and win championships — compete and win championships,” Lynch said to the San Francisco Standard.
“We’ve done the compete part. We haven’t won it. And when I get my mind set on something, I really want to see it come to fruition. And I’m having a really good time doing this right now.”
It’s no secret that one window closed for the 49ers prior to this year, when the front office was forced to move on from some core veterans before turning to rookies on defense.
While Lynch admits he thought he’d have delivered San Francisco a sixth ring by now, the new influx of youth and smart, low-cost additions offer long-term benefits.
“I will tell you the conclusion I have is I never thought I’d be here this long. … I don’t think I thought it’d be easier, but I probably thought we’d have a couple in our in our hip pocket by now; and that hasn’t happened.
“We’ve had good chances, but we haven’t paid them off. And so I’m committed to trying to pay this thing off having a good time. I feel excited about where our organization is at. And I think the arrow is pointing up.”
The 49ers are 9-4 this season and on the brink of another playoff place. Despite missing key operators Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, and dealing with several other injuries on both sides of the ball at various points in the season, a lofty playoff goal could still be achievable.
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