With defensive end and linebacker Aaron Lynch coming out of retirement last week, the Jacksonville Jaguars have decided to activate the veteran from the exempt/commissioner permission list. To make room on the roster for him, the Jags also placed receiver Dede Westbrook on injured reserve Monday after reports surfaced that the team believes he tore his ACL Week 7 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
We have activated DE/LB Aaron Lynch from the exempt/commissioner permission list to the active roster and placed WR Dede Westbrook (knee) on the reserve/injured list. pic.twitter.com/M6MBrKOqts
— #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) October 26, 2020
Lynch will return to the Jags roster with 105 total career tackles and 20 sacks to his name. In terms of experience, he’s made 73 total appearances and 22 starts since entering the league in 2014.
Lynch was drafted by current Jags director of player personnel, Trent Baalke, back when Baalke was the San Francisco 49ers general manager. With the Jags needing some veteran experience, they signed Lynch in early May, but he decided to retire before training camp could end.
As for Westbrook, he sustained his injury during the last play of the third quarter of Sunday’s game. His knee buckled in an awkward way during a kickoff return when trying to make a cut before being tackled by Chargers linebacker Emeke Egbule. The injury was too graphic for the broadcast team to show on replay, however, he stayed on the ground for two commercial breaks before trainers were able to get him on a cart to be taken to the back.
Westbrook finished the game with four kickoff returns (one of which was fumbled) for 89 yards and also returned a punt for 36 yards.