Vikings DL James Lynch tears ACL, out for season

The Minnesota Vikings lost DL James Lynch for the season with a torn ACL.

The Minnesota Vikings suffered a season-ending injury during Thursday night’s practice as defensive lineman James Lynch suffered a torn ACL. The injury was first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Lynch was a fourth-round pick out of Baylor in the 2020 NFL draft and saw some success with the Vikings defensive line. Across 37 games, Lynch had three starts and accumulated 53 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 4.0 tackles for loss, 2 quarterback hits and 1 fumble recovery.

The injury is unfortunate, as many believed Lynch would make the team. The defensive line group to make the final 53-man roster became that much more competitive. Jaquelin Roy, Esezi Otomewo, T.J. Smith, Sheldon Day, Calvin Avery and Ross Blacklock will be fighting for those last spots.

Once Lynch gets put on season-ending injured reserve, the Vikings will have one roster spot open.