With a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected James Lynch out of Baylor, hoping that he could add some depth to their defensive line.
That, unfortunately, never came to be, as Lynch started just three games during his Vikings tenure and suffered a season-ending injury before the 2023 season ever got underway. He re-signed with Minnesota in 2024, but he didn't end up making the team's final regular-season roster.
Lynch went on to spend two years with the Tennessee Titans, and then, earlier this offseason, he signed with the NFC North rival Chicago Bears. Unfortunately for him, he might not be a member of the Bears' franchise for long.
Ryan Heckman of Bear Goggles On wrote about how the Bears already have a crowded defensive line room and how that could make Lynch the odd man out this summer.
"A Bears defense that needs more in terms of pressure on quarterbacks, whether it's from the end or interior, isn't going to find it in Lynch. He has a total of just 11 quarterback pressures in five seasons (did not play in 2023 due to a torn ACL).
Oddly enough, as we're talking about a player who probably won't make this roster, Lynch did post a career high in 2025 with three quarterback hits, but that's not enough to keep him around.
Beyond the fact that he is still trying to prove his worth in the NFL, Lynch has several guys ahead of him on the interior of this defensive line."
Former Minnesota Vikings DL James Lynch might not last long with Chicago Bears
Heckman then explains the pieces of Chicago's defensive line that could push Lynch off the roster. He listed five defensive linemen who are likely ahead of Lynch on the roster, and with that in mind, it makes sense why he thinks Lynch could be on his way out of the Windy City sooner rather than later.
Lynch didn't find his footing in Minnesota or Tennessee and was hoping to stick around with the third team of his career. Sadly, for him, it'll be an uphill battle and one that, if Heckman is right, might not end up the way he's hoping it will.
Perhaps Lynch finds a home with another NFL team if things don't work out for him in Chicago, but if he does, it'll be his fourth team in three years. The odds are certainly against him at this point, but crazier things have happened.
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