Lynch bypassed Jets to protect Edwards

Lynch bypassed Jets to protect Edwards: "DENVER -- When safety John Lynch became a free agent in 2004, the conventional wisdom was that he'd join ..."

... his good friend, Jets coach Herman Edwards, in New York.

Instead, it was their friendship that kept them from a reunion.

Edwards was Lynch's position coach in Tampa Bay, where the two developed a bond so tight that Lynch is godfather to Edwards' son, Marcus.

Their families will attend the game together Sunday when Lynch and the surging Broncos (7-2) face Edwards' injury-riddled Jets (2-7) at Invesco Field.

Lynch called Edwards "a first-class guy who has as much character as anybody I've ever met."

So why not go play for him again?

Because, Lynch said, he didn't want Edwards to pay the price if he wasn't able to rebound from a neck injury that threatened to derail his career last year.

"In the back of my mind, I was coming off a neck injury and I went up there and saw what that media was a little bit about. And I said, 'You know what, if I can't play healthy, they're going roast him for bringing one of his buddies in," Lynch said.

And the two had agreed not to let their friendship matter.

"Of course, it would be great to play together. But we're always going to be friends, so let's not have that even enter into it," Lynch said.

He said the two decided that his destination would be determined on what was "best for my family" and "best for his organization."

"In the end, it would have been a great place, but I just felt right here," Lynch said. "And I gained so much more respect from him for the way he handled it when I called him. It was one of the hardest calls I ever had to make. But he understood and he said, 'You're doing what's right for your family,' and that took so much pressure off me."

So, Denver it was.

"A lot of things were just right here. I felt great when I came here. They play a similar defense to what we played in Tampa. I believe in Mike Shanahan and his ability to take this team to a championship, all the players," Lynch said. "It just felt right."

Edwards was disappointed professionally but understood.

"We're going to be friends the rest of our lives, whether he plays for me again or (not)," Edwards said. "You'd like for it to happen, it didn't work out. There was a better situation there."

Lynch recovered from his neck injury and returned to form last year, starting 15 games and recording 76 tackles, topping 1,000 for his career. His two sacks were his most since 1998 and he recorded an interception for the 10th straight season.

This year, Lynch has 42 tackles, one sack and an interception.

"It worked out good for him and his family, and that's always the most important thing," Edwards said.