“An industrious worker,” according to John Lynch, Adam Peters is willing to…

John Lynch contacted John Elway, the general manager and executive vice president of football operations of the Denver Broncos at the time, as one of his first actions as general manager of the 49ers of San Francisco. He knew it was going to be a major interview request.

Adam Peters was necessary for him.

Lynch didn’t fit the mold of a “traditional” front desk hire. He most definitely knew enough about football to be of interest. A guy with nine Pro Bowl appearances, two First Team All-Pro honors, a Super Bowl win, and a position in not one but two Rings of Fame with the Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers is indeed rare in the Hall of Fame. So, certainly, why not give the organization’s leadership position to the man who has forgotten more football information than most people will ever know? It seems to be a wise decision.

Working in a front office was the one area Lynch lacked experience in. Lynch entered the radio industry when he retired in 2008, and he was successful there for over ten years. He had never developed an off-season strategy for pursuing free agents. Except for that one occasion, he had never been in a draft room helping choose players from a pool of hundreds to determine the destiny of a club.

Lynch said that he entered the front office gradually. Lynch was requested by Elway to concentrate on assisting the Broncos in assessing safety over a three-year period. In Year 3, he was there to observe the draft process firsthand. In Year 2, it was all about the defensive backs. Peters, the Broncos’ director of college scouting at the time, was the guy he happened to sit next to.

The two clicked almost right away. They rapidly came to the conclusion that their perspectives on the game were quite similar. That obviously pleased Lynch, but Peters had an extra measure of boldness that caught his attention. It was developed after years of exposure to some of the league’s top executives and coaches. There was a commitment to the same objectives of winning and strengthening the squad, but he also spoke up for the players he felt embodied that vision. And he had enough expertise to support his assertions.

“His fundamental beliefs are incredibly strong,” Lynch said. “He follows a very detailed procedure. What a brilliant man he is. He is, in fact. He also works nonstop.”

Thus, Lynch understood that hiring Peters would be among his top priorities when he was given the chance to join the 49ers and help them assemble a championship-caliber team.

With Lynch serving as general manager, the 49ers have been among the league’s finest teams, even if they haven’t yet taken home the championship. They have three consecutive NFC West titles, four winning seasons, and as many postseason appearances as in the previous seven years. In the 2023 playoffs, the 49ers secured the top seed and home field advantage for the duration of the competition.

As Lynch’s right-hand man, Peters has endured everything with him and has been essential to the team’s recent success. Peters was instrumental in keeping the process moving and in setting the standard on which San Francisco currently stands, whether it was taking care of football operations duties while Lynch handled ownership or giving a say in roster choices.

Peters’ current assignment is to develop an equivalent of the Washington Commanders’ general manager. Lynch has worked side by side with him for years and is certain he is up to the challenge.

“They [Washington] have a lot of work to do, but he knows that, and he’s eager and excited to get going,” Lynch said.