DE/LB Aaron Lynch rejoins the Jags after coming out of retirement

The Jags got an unexpected surprise from veteran DE Aaron Lynch who came out of retirement to play football again on Wednesday.

After retiring in August, it appears former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Aaron Lynch has had a change of heart. The team announced that the veteran will be rejoining them off their reserve/retired list Wednesday, which also required a roster exemption.

Lynch, 27, was signed by the Jags on May 5. His signing was likely due to a connection to Jags director of player personnel, Trent Baalke, who was behind drafting Lynch in the 2014 NFL Draft in the fifth-round. After his time in San Francisco, Lynch joined the Chicago Bears and spent two seasons with the team (2018-19).

While it’s unknown if he’ll actually see the field with the Jags, they certainly could use a veteran’s presence on the edge where they have two young players in K’Lavon Chaisson and Josh Allen. Of course, he’s going to have to get in football shape first, so it may take a while before he’s activated if the Jags hold on to him.

Lynch will return to the Jags’ roster with 105 career tackles and 20 sacks to his name. Throughout his six years in the league, he’s made 73 total career appearances and 22 starts. His most productive seasons, however, were with Baalke and the 49ers where he accumulated 19 starts, 83 tackles, and 15 sacks.