Paxton Lynch’s return to the National Football League (NFL) dream was shattered by a serious knee injury while playing in the National Arena League.
The former Denver Broncos quarterback suffered a serious knee injury on March 28 in Salina, Kansas. His team, the Colorado Spartans, was playing Liberty. It was only his third match.
Lynch tore his LCL, ending his season.
He was playing in the National Arena League for just $600 per game. Reports suggest the player was trying to get back into the NFL instead of focusing on making money.
In an interview with the Denver Post, the 32-year-old said: “I was pissed and it sucked. I didn’t want it to happen like that.”
Lynch appeared to be heartbroken over the injury that cut short his return; However, he said playing football again was worth it.
He said: “I played with confidence and didn’t care what anyone else thought. It felt good to do that again.”
It’s been almost a decade since Lynch last played in the NFL. The Broncos drafted him 26th overall in 2016. He was 6-foot-7 and weighed 244 pounds. Denver hoped he would lead the team after Peyton Manning retired.
This never happened. Lynch has only played five games in the NFL, the last coming in 2017.
He later joined the Seahawks and Steelers. Lynch was out of the league in 2020.
Since then, Lynch has tried out for the CFL, USFL and XFL. Arena football was his last attempt, but an injury added another setback to his long-awaited return.
