49ers general manager John Lynch appeared to endorse ESPN's big Patriots expose. But the nine-time Pro Bowler says he was mocking it.
In the immediate aftermath of the Patriots' thrashing of the Titans Saturday, Lynch's account retweeted Seth Wickersham's story about the doom and gloom that's apparently overtaken Patriot Place.
"For almost two decades, Bill Belichick has managed to subvert the egos of his best player, his boss, and himself for the good of the team, yielding historic results," the tweet reads. "This year, though, the dynamics have been different.
Lynch plays a central role in the drama, because Belichick reportedly only notified the 49ers about Jimmy Garoppolo's sudden availability. Lynch's promotion of the piece would have served as a form of validation.
But when journalist Melissa Jacobs pointed out Lynch's retweet, he corrected the record.
"Didn't mean to RT. Came across the article and was cracking up at the "supposed dysfunction" and the doom that was coming w it. That looked like a pretty "functional" and harmonious team to me. 7 straight Conference Championship games is simply unbelievable. #respect," Lynch tweeted.
According to Wickersham's story, Belichick wanted to trade Garoppolo to San Francisco, because he believed the quarterback could thrive under head coach Kyle Shanahan. Last month, Lynch said Belichick gushed over Garoppolo before letting him go.
"Bill, beyond thinking this kid was a special football player, thought he was a special person," Lynch said, per the MMQB's Albert Breer. "And he just said, 'You're gonna love the player, guys respond to him.' I didn't know what that meant. You think you know, but (we saw) that right away, even when he wasn't playing."
