The Bears are still stacking bodies along the defensive line.
Chicago has agreed to sign veteran defensive tackle James Lynch to a one-year deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Lynch, 27, spent the last two seasons with the Tennessee Titans as a rotational interior defender after beginning his career with the Minnesota Vikings. Financial terms have not been disclosed, though the deal is expected to be in the veteran minimum range — consistent with the rest of Chicago's approach at the position this offseason.
Who He Is
Lynch was a fourth-round pick out of Baylor in 2020, where he left as the program's all-time sack leader with 23 career sacks and earned Consensus All-American honors as a junior. He was also named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 after posting 13.5 sacks in 14 starts. The NFL production hasn't matched that college dominance, but that's not unusual for a player who transitioned from a college defensive end to a professional interior lineman.
He spent three seasons in Minnesota without ever earning a starting role, then tore his ACL during 2023 training camp and missed the entire year. The Vikings released him in August 2024. Tennessee signed him to their practice squad days later, and he worked his way onto the active roster by Week 2. He's played every game since — 34 straight across two seasons — logging 45 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three passes defended as a rotational piece. In 2025, he played 333 defensive snaps across nine different alignments, and during the first half of the season he graded out as the Titans' best run defender at 68.2 on Pro Football Focus. His full-season PFF marks were more modest: 53.0 overall, 59.0 against the run, 54.6 as a pass rusher.
The #Bears are signing #Titans free agent DT James Lynch to a one year deal adding more depth to the interior of the D-Line.
— VILLE (@3PointStansPod) March 18, 2026
Lynch played his college ball @ #Baylor & was a 2020 4th rd pick by the #Vikings. The 27 y/o played all 34 games the last 2 seasons with the Titans &… pic.twitter.com/MOzCCSZfxQ
Where He Fits
Lynch is the third defensive tackle Poles has added this offseason, joining Neville Gallimore (two years, $12 million) and Kentavius Street (one year, $1.48 million). All three are rotational depth pieces, not starters. The Bears' interior defensive line is still built around Gervon Dexter — entering a contract year after posting career highs of six sacks and six tackles for loss in 2025 — and Grady Jarrett, who is locked in through 2027 on a deal that carries $21 million in dead cap. Shemar Turner, a 2024 draft pick, is also in the mix but is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 8 last season.
At 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds, Lynch fits the profile Dennis Allen wants in his interior linemen — big enough to anchor against the run, athletic enough to line up in multiple spots. The Bears allowed 5.0 yards per carry last season, one of the worst marks in the NFL, and fixing the run defense has been a stated priority. But the fix isn't coming through free agency signings like this one. It's coming through the draft, where Chicago holds three of the top 60 picks and is widely expected to target a defensive tackle early — with Florida's Peter Woods among the most commonly linked names.
Lynch doesn't change the math. He adds another veteran to the rotation, another body who can absorb snaps without creating a liability, and another player who has proven he can stay healthy after a significant injury. That's the whole point. Poles is stockpiling cheap, competent depth at a position group that was almost empty two weeks ago, buying time and flexibility for the bigger investment that's still ahead.