Vikings defensive tackle James Lynch out for the year with a torn ACL

Lynch, a fourth-round pick in 2020, was battling for a larger role on the defensive line before getting injured during the Vikings' practice on Thursday night.

August 4, 2023 at 7:16PM
Vikings defensive tackle James Lynch (92) pursued Bears quarterback Andy Dalton in the teams’ regular season finale in January. (Anthony Souffle, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Vikings defensive tackle James Lynch, who played a career-high 15 regular-season games for the team last season, won't play in one this season.

Lynch tore an ACL during the Vikings' practice at TCO Stadium on Thursday night, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The fourth-year defensive tackle will be out for the season.

The Vikings picked Lynch in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, and he was battling for a larger role along the team's defensive line after Dalvin Tomlinson left in free agency. The injury comes in a pivotal year for Lynch, who will be a free agent after this season.

He had played 37 games the past three seasons for the Vikings, starting once in 2021 and twice in 2022. During that time, Lynch had posted two career sacks, four tackles for loss and recovered one fumble.

In other roster news, the Vikings signed running back Abram Smith on Friday and waived former Minnesota-Duluth fullback Zach Ojile, who is from Blaine. Smith, a former Baylor back, played with the D.C. Defenders in the XFL's 2023 season, leading the league in rushing with 781 yards and seven TDs on 158 carries.

about the writer

about the writer

Ben Goessling

Sports reporter

Ben Goessling has covered the Vikings since 2012, first at the Pioneer Press and ESPN before becoming the Star Tribune's lead Vikings reporter in 2017. He was named one of the top NFL beat writers by the Pro Football Writers of America in 2024, after honors in the AP Sports Editors and National Headliner Awards contests in 2023.

See More