San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch has once again reached the final step in his pursuit of induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It was announced on Thursday that Lynch was one of 15 finalists for the Hall's Class of 2019. This is the sixth time that Lynch has been named a finalist.
Lynch will find out if he's made the cut on the eve of Super Bowl LIII just prior to NFL Honors. The former safety's career consisted of nine Pro Bowl appearances, two All-Pro honors and one Super Bowl ring. He spent 11 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is credited with helping turn the franchise around, both with his on-field production and as a leader. Lynch's final four seasons were spent with the Denver Broncos.
Over the course of his 15-year career, Lynch amassed 1,054 career tackles, 26 interceptions and 13 sacks. He was revered as a leader and feared for his hard-hitting prowess in the secondary.
Lynch has plenty of competition among this year's finalists as there are four other defensive backs on the list: Steve Atwater, Ed Reed, Champ Bailey and Ty Law.
Here are full details on the 15 finalists.
