There have been serious questions raised about the future of Marshawn Lynch in Seattle but the running back may end up retiring at the end of the 2014 season.
Marshawn Lynch has had one of the most interesting careers in the NFL. He went from being a dashing runner who fell off the deep end with the Buffalo Bills to revolutionizing the position with his throwback style that earned him the nickname ‘Beast Mode’. But the Beast will have to be caged at some point in time, and that may be sooner rather than later.
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Lynch’s future in Seattle is hazy, at best. There was talk of hi being traded or released at the end of the 2014 season as the Seahawks prepare to shed salary cap in 2015 and beyond to start re-signing long term pillars for the franchise. Russell Wilson will need a new deal soon, Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas tying up a ton of money on defense.
Ian Rapoport from NFL Network reports that instead of taking a trade or accepting release, there’s a chance that Marshawn Lynch could simply retire from the NFL after the 2014 season.
"According to sources with direct knowledge of Lynch’s thinking, the 28-year-old is weighing the possibility of retiring after this year, saying goodbye to football on his owns terms. He’d leave the football world confused and wanting more, though that’s what he often does."
This would no doubt be an abrupt retirement in the eyes of many, as Marshawn Lynch continues to channel Beast Mode as though he’s still a young man. People tend to forget his life before Seattle though, as Lynch was a Pro Bowl running back for the Buffalo Bills, playing there from 2008 until midway through 2010.
If he retired now, he’d have eight NFL seasons under his belt and just over 8,000 career rushing yards. If he gets a couple hundred more yards this season, he’d move past Jim Taylor’s career mark of 8,597 and moving into 36th place among all-time leading rushers.
Of course, retirement isn’t the only option, but it appears to be something Lynch is at least considering.
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