When John Lynch was a broadcaster with Fox, he built several meaningful relationships around the NFL. One of those was with Kyle Shanahan, his new partner at the top of the 49ers food chain.
But that’s not where his relationships end in the NFC South. New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton joined KNBR 1050’s The Audible on Wednesday to chat about a broadcaster turned GM he became fond of.
“I’ve known John now a number of years just in his job with Fox and covering our games, and man, he’s exceptional,” Payton said. “He’s one of those guys, you just can’t see him failing. He didn’t in high school. He didn’t in college. He was successful in the NFL. He was doing outstanding at Fox. So he’s got that — what he doesn’t know and what he has to learn, he’s going to. He’s someone who is smart enough to seek advice, ask the right questions.”
Payton’s opinion, however covered in friendship it is, carries weight because he’s won a Super Bowl. He isn’t as familiar personally with Kyle Shanahan, but he acknowledged their track records are similar as creative offensive coaches who put in their time.
“These guys have been around a lot of winning. That won’t mean that there aren’t stumbling blocks and there aren’t hurdles that they have to overcome, but I think in the end, their communication and their vision certainly gives them a chance in that division.
“That first early part of your first year is always — there’s not enough time in the day. You have to go home at some point, and you’re going to get to your list again in the morning. But I think really putting their imprint on, hey, this is what we want to be defensively, this is what we want to be offensively and here’s how we have to go about doing it.”