The Pro Football Writers Association has selected 49ers general manager John Lynch as the Executive of the Year.

The PFWA has selected @Ravens head coach John Harbaugh as the 2019 NFL Coach of the Year, @49ers GM John Lynch as the Executive of the Year and @Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman as the Assistant Coach of the Year. — Pro Football Writers (@PFWAwriters) January 16, 2020

The 49ers, under Lynch, improved a franchise-record nine games from their 4-12 record last season to 13-3 this time around along while earning the team's first NFC top seed since 1997.

"San Francisco became only the third team since the NFL went a 12-team playoff format in 1990 to go from four or fewer wins to a conference No. 1 seed the next season," PFWA tweeted.

A press release from the PFWA included transactions made under Lynch that stood out -- notably Dee Ford and Kwon Alexander -- to explain why Lynch earned the first-time honors.

Earlier in the season, before the 49ers received their first loss, Lynch credited the team's chemistry and noted the abilities of the team to have fun and work well together -- something members of other organizations noticed as well.

Warriors general manager Bob Myers sees how much fun the 49ers are having and knows what it's like on the rise up to glory. On an episode of the 49ers Insider Podcast, he complimented Kyle Shanahan and Lynch, saying he not only understands the feeling, but also is hoping the 49ers are enjoying it.

They appear to be.

[RELATED: Shanahan believed it was important to embrace 49ers past]

San Francisco will face the Green Bay Packers Sunday at Levi's Stadium in the NFC Championship Game. The winner of that will advance to Super Bowl LIV in Miami.

Whether that happens or not, Lynch is very well deserved of the honor, and that 49ers team speaks for itself.

Programming note: NBC Sports Bay Area feeds your hunger for 49ers playoff coverage with special editions of “49ers Central” all week (6 p.m. Thursday and 8 p.m. Friday)



Also tune in at 2:30 p.m. Sunday for “49ers Pregame Live,” with Laura Britt, Jeff Garcia, Donte Whitner, Ian Williams and Grant Liffmann previewing the NFC Championship Game against the Packers. That same crew will have all the postgame reaction on “49ers Postgame Live,” starting at approximately 6:30 p.m.