John Lynch
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
General manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers looks on before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in 2024.
The San Francisco 49ers are not finished building their roster. General manager John Lynch made that clear at the league meetings on Sunday, addressing a number of pressing questions about where the team stands heading into the offseason.
Of those topics, the most notable admission was about a position that has quietly become one of the more pressing needs on the roster.
Left guard is not settled. And Lynch, for his part, is not pretending otherwise.
Lynch Says the 49ers Aren’t Done Yet
San Francisco enters the offseason with a significant void along the interior offensive line. Their Week 1 starter from 2025 signed with the Detroit Lions. Their playoff starter departed for the Las Vegas Raiders. What remains is a thin group headlined by 2025 seventh-round pick Connor Colby and Robert Jones, who played over 1,000 snaps and started every game for the Miami Dolphins in 2024 before missing all of last season with a neck injury.
The 49ers have added 30-year-old Brett Toth, who saw his first significant action in two years this past season with the Philadelphia Eagles. It is a modest addition for a position that needs competition.
Lynch knows it.
“We’re not done yet,” Lynch said when asked about left guard.
It is a direct acknowledgment that the current group is not where San Francisco wants it to be. The draft figures to play a role in the solution, with the 49ers holding four fourth-round selections and several interior offensive linemen projected to be available in that range. Whether they address it before the draft remains to be seen.
What Lynch Said About Joey Bosa
Joey Bosa, Buffalo Bills
GettyJoey Bosa during his time with the Buffalo Bills.
The left guard situation was not the only topic Lynch addressed on Sunday. One of the more intriguing offseason questions has been whether the 49ers could pair Joey Bosa alongside his brother Nick Bosa on the same defensive line.
Lynch did not dance around it.
“I know that would make Mama Bosa happy,” Lynch said, “but I don’t know if we can afford him.”
Joey Bosa is a five-time Pro Bowler with 77 career sacks across 10 NFL seasons. Last year with the Buffalo Bills he recorded five sacks and 16 quarterback hits. The talent is not the issue. The price tag apparently is.
The Bosa brothers will not be sharing a defensive line in Santa Clara. At least not this offseason.
The Wide Receiver Overhaul
Mike Evans
GettyMike Evans during his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before signing with the San Francisco 49ers.
Lynch has been more aggressive at wide receiver. The 49ers landed six-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans on a three-year, $42.4 million deal following his departure from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Evans recorded 1,000 or more receiving yards in each of his first 11 seasons and arrives in San Francisco motivated.
“We got him on a good deal,” Lynch said. “He really wanted to be part of our organization. That’s humbling.”
Eight-year veteran Christian Kirk joins him, coming off a stint with the Houston Texans. Lynch has followed Kirk since his days in Arizona and made no attempt to hide his enthusiasm.
“Always been a huge fan of Christian since Arizona,” Lynch said. “I feel lucky to get both of those guys.”
What It Means for the 49ers
John Lynch San Francisco 49ers
GettySan Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch.
San Francisco went 12-5 last season despite a punishing injury list, knocked the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles out of the Wild Card round, and fell to the eventual Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional round. The ceiling is clear. The gaps are being addressed one by one.
The receiver room is upgraded. Meanwhile, the defensive line question at Joey Bosa is answered. Left guard, however, remains the lingering issue, and Lynch’s words on Sunday suggest the work is not finished.
Final Word for the 49ers
Lynch said they are not done yet. That is worth taking at face value.
The receiver additions signal ambition. Meanwhile, the Joey Bosa answer signals financial discipline. And the honest acknowledgment about left guard signals a front office that knows exactly where it stands.
San Francisco is building. The offseason, however, is not over.