I am humbled and honored. #PFHOF21 pic.twitter.com/Hq5UzNmb7n

— John Lynch (@JohnLynch49ers) February 7, 2021

Well, it was about time. After eight years, 49ers general manager and longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos safety John Lynch has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as was announced on Saturday night.

Lynch was a nine-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro in his illustrious 15-year career who was known for being a dominant coverage safety and a ruthlessly hard hitter.

It was as appropriate a time as any for Lynch, the Buccaneers legend who won a Super Bowl there in 2002 under Tony Dungy. He got word of his induction two weeks ago, but the news came out in Tampa, where he’s in town for the Super Bowl.

In a video Lynch posted to Twitter from his Tampa hotel on Sunday, he thanked all his former teams (including the Patriots, where he spent three weeks before retiring), coaches and teammates and especially, his wife Linda. He also thanked the fans.

“To all the fans, thank you for always having my back and expecting greatness from me and my teammates,” Lynch said.

Below is the full list of Hall of Fame inductees:

Congratulations to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021: Alan Faneca, Tom Flores, Calvin Johnson, John Lynch, Peyton Manning, Bill Nunn, Drew Pearson, Charles Woodson.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2021