Ex-Vikings Linebacker Signs With Chiefs

In the last decade, the Vikings had several linebacker combinations, but the group was mostly dominated by two players: Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr. When Mike Zimmer was hired to become the team’s new head coach, he put a strong emphasis on the linebacker position. He and GM Rick Spielman invested a first- and a second-round pick for UCLA linebackers Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks.

Ex-Vikings Linebacker Signs With Chiefs

The remaining third linebacker spot in Zimmer’s 4-3 defense was quite the carousel. After Chad Greenway’s retirement, the Vikings relied on rotational players like Ben Gedeon, Nick Vigil, and Eric Wilson.

Another man who filled that position for a while was Blake Lynch, who has carved out a nice career for himself as a journeyman depth linebacker and special teamer. Lynch, a 2020 undrafted rookie with the Vikings, has recently signed a new contract with the Chiefs.

KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noted on X, “Chiefs signed linebacker Blake Lynch.”

Lynch’s journey in the NFL has been quite the ride. He signed with the Vikings after the 2020 draft. After failing to qualify for the 53-man roster, Lynch was signed to the practice squad. He appeared in four games in his rookie year and was promoted to the roster later in the season, even starting a game in Zimmer’s heavily-injured squad.

In his second season, Lynch appeared in 16 games with six starts. Throughout his Vikings tenure, the defender collected 47 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception. He played 295 defensive snaps and 403 on special teams.

When the leadership in Minnesota changed, and Kevin O’Connell and crew took over for Zimmer and Spielman, Lynch was released after the preseason. Since then, he spent time with the Cardinals during the 2022 season and the Chargers in 2023.

His 2024 season was quite eventful. In the preseason, he was under contract with the Seahawks, but they didn’t give him a spot on their roster or the practice squad. The Raiders did for a month halfway through the season, and later in the year, the Chiefs hired him for a week.

While the Super Bowl runner-ups didn’t keep him for the playoff run, he apparently made enough of an impression to earn a spot on the 90-man offseason roster.

In his NFL career, the former Baylor defender has played in 29 games with three different franchises (Vikings, Chargers, Chiefs), starting seven contests. He has tabulated 660 snaps on special teams and 370 on defense.

Chiefs reporter Pete Sweeney from the Arrowhead Pride wrote, “In Kansas City’s Week 18 loss to the Denver Broncos, Lynch logged 25 snaps on defense and saw time on the field with all four phases of Dave Toub’s special-teams unit. He recorded six tackles and a tackle-for-loss in the game. Although Kansas City released Lynch before the postseason, it’s clear he did enough to merit a spot on the team’s 90-man offseason roster. During his college days at Baylor, Lynch showed versatility on defense — and he offers upside on special teams.”

Lynch just turned 28 and hopes to earn a spot on Kansas City’s roster for the 2025 campaign.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt