The Aaron Lynch era in San Francisco is over.
Lynch, a 2014 fifth-round pick by former GM Trent Baalke, has signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The move will serve as a reunion with Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who was Lynch’s defensive coordinator in San Francisco during his rookie year.
Source: The #Bears are signing former #49ers DE Aaron Lynch to a 1-year deal. Had six sacks in each of his first two years.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2018
Lynch’s career started off him promising fashion, when he had 12.5 sacks in his first two seasons combined, despite starting just 16 games. Lynch’s last two seasons were far less encouraging, with 2.5 sacks in 14 games combined.
Here’s what Pro Football Focus had to say about Lynch in their free agent guide:
After a promising start to his career, Lynch never quite took the next step. Few pass-rushers can match the raw tools that Lynch possesses, but his inconsistency looks ingrained at this point. The former fifth-round pick had 62 pressures his second season in the NFL, but he has been limited to only 379 snaps the last two seasons. His length and size make him an intriguing prospect on the open market.