"Yes, he's been around the team, working out, etc," Barrows said. "He's in noticeably better shape than he was a month ago. Does that mean he's in tip-top shape? No, but he seems to be on his way."
Lynch is two games into a suspension for violating league policy on substances of abuse. Lynch, who is in his third season in the league, was already considered to be the team's best pass rusher and losing him was a big loss for the 49ers defense. Lynch won't be available until the 49ers' October 6 Thursday night home game against the Arizona Cardinals. He will miss this weekend's game against the Seattle Seahawks and then next weekend against the Dallas Cowboys.
"I think if he's in top shape, he's the 49ers' best edge rusher. Now is he Von Miller? No," Barrows continued while answering a fan that felt that Lynch was somewhat over-rated. "The best teams have two good pass rushers collapsing the pocket from the edges. Lynch can do that but would be better if there's someone as good or better on the other side. The 49ers don't have that right now."
"According to the NFL's policy on substances of abuse, a player who has a violation while within Stage Two of the program is subject to a four-game suspension without pay," explained Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area. "A second violation while in Stage Two would result in a six-game suspension."
Last season, Lynch had 6.5 sacks last season through 14 games, tying with fellow outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, and accounted for nearly a quarter of the team's sack total. That was a big jump from the 16-percent he accounted for during his rookie campaign. He has 12.5 sacks in his two competed seasons with the 49ers.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Jed York on Shanahan's and Lynch's futures: "They're not going anywhere"
San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York put to rest any speculation about the futures of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch amid a disappointing 2024 campaign. Speaking with Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard before Monday night's primetime matchup... -
49ers' John Lynch sheds light on Brock Purdy's injury
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's season finale against the Arizona Cardinals due to a right elbow contusion with nerve inflammation sustained during Monday night's loss to the Detroit Lions. Josh Dobbs will step in as the starter, with Brandon... -
Why John Lynch believes a longer offseason will benefit the 49ers
For the first time since 2020, the San Francisco 49ers will begin their offseason earlier than usual, missing the playoffs after three consecutive deep postseason runs. With one game left in an injury-plagued and mistake-riddled campaign, the 49ers are shifting their focus to... -
John Lynch confident in 49ers' offseason plan: "We'll fix it"
The San Francisco 49ers are grappling with the disappointment of a season that fell far short of their lofty expectations. After coming close to a Super Bowl victory last year, the team now finds itself out of playoff contention, sitting at 6-9 with just two games left in the...