Mike McGlinchey knows nothing other than being on the 49ers, and San Francisco's longtime offensive tackle wants to keep it that way.
But as one of the team's 23 scheduled unrestricted free agents this offseason, McGlinchey realizes that might not happen. His emotions about that fact were evident Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field after what could have been his last game in a 49ers uniform.
"Some of my best friends are in this locker room. I have a great relationship with staff, coaches, front office," McGlinchey told reporters after the 49ers' NFC Championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. "Our ownership group's probably the best in football.
"You know, hopefully the cards fall in my way, but it is a business. We've got a lot of players in this locker room, a lot of good ones, and a lot of people that deserve to get paid. And we'll see how it goes."
McGlinchey has faced his fair -- and perhaps, at times, unfair -- share of criticism since the 49ers drafted him No. 9 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. But he has made it a point over his five-year career in San Francisco to develop a thick skin, and this season he experienced plenty of highs along with the lows.
He allowed six sacks on the season (tied for 15th-most in the league) and none in the playoffs, per PFF, and now will enter the offensive lineman market with the possibility of signing a handsome multiyear contract in free agency thanks to his experience.
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That deal could come from the 49ers, of course, but it's unlikely given the other offseason decisions they must make, coupled with tackle Colton McKivitz waiting in the wings.
Rookie guard Spencer Burford played alongside McGlinchey on the offensive line all season long and said the veteran served as a valuable mentor for him this year.
"Mike is a class act dude, for sure," Burford told reporters after Sunday's loss. "Mike helped me a lot. Even with my ups and downs, he always encouraged [me], made sure I was on top of my game regardless of what he had going on, [what] people [were] saying about him.
"He always saw forward to the brighter day."
McGlinchey told reporters "football is the best sport in the world, and it's because you get to build long, life-lasting relationships with some of the coolest people on Earth."
"It just sucks that this league has such turnover that you can't keep the whole squad together. I hope we can," McGlinchey said, noting that he would want to re-sign with the 49ers. "But I know it's not always up to me, so we'll see how it goes."
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If Sunday was McGlinchey's last game with San Francisco, he hopes the 49ers Faithful remember him fondly.
"Someone who laid it all out for you and played -- win, lose or draw, I did it with class," McGlinchey said. "I was a great teammate and I played hard, and I love playing football.
"That's all I hope anybody ever remembers me by."