The San Francisco 49ers welcome outside linebacker Aaron Lynch back to the practice field on Monday. Head coach Chip Kelly said the team has a roster exemption for him, which means they do not need to activate him right back to the 53-man roster.
Kelly would not commit to Lynch playing on Thursday against the Arizona Cardinals, but he was hopeful. During the suspension, Lynch was not able to take part in on-field practices, but he was able to go through meetings and work with the strength and conditioning coaches. Kelly said he was getting good reports from the strength coaches, which bodes well for getting Lynch back up to game speed. He also pointed to him being a smart player, which also helps.
But really, it all comes down to Lynch’s conditioning. They will have practice Monday through Wednesday, leading up to Thursday’s game. The team has to make a decision in the next couple days, I believe by Wednesday afternoon. My guess is he is active and gets some snaps, but is on the low end of the rotation, along with special teams work.