Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch may not be back next year
Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch may have played his last NFL game.
Lynch, a free agent, has been in talks with the Seahawks about a new contract, but now reports have surfaced that he might decide to hang up his gold cleats and retire.
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“Whether or not he wants to play next year, I can’t answer at this point. I don’t think he knows yet,” Seahawks GM John Schneider said of Lynch, via the Score. “Obviously we would like a decision as soon as possible so we can make a decision and move on if we need to.”
Lynch led the NFL’s top rushing attack this year; his 1,306 yards were fourth in the NFL, his 4.7 yards per carry attempt tied for tenth (among qualifiers), and his 13 touchdowns tied him for first. He also came in first in broken tackles.
Over the last few years, Lynch has cemented himself as one of the NFL’s very best runners. It would be highly unusual for a 29-year-old running back in the prime of his career to suddenly retire, but Marshawn Lynch is not exactly known for doing things normally.
There is one prominent precedent for a star running back retiring in his prime. Barry Sanders’ 1999 retirement at the age of 31 came as a shock to fans and teammates alike, as he was healthy, running well, and at the time was just 1,458 yards short of the all-time rushing record (which was later broken by Emmitt Smith).
On the other hand, Sanders was two years older than Lynch is now, and partly retired because of the culture of losing in the Lions’ organization. Marshawn Lynch’s team has been to two straight Super Bowls (and might have won both had they just let him carry the ball).
Assuming he doesn’t retire, Lynch will be in high demand on the free agent market.
The Seahawks have likely braced themselves for his possible departure, with Robert Turbin on the roster as the likely replacement. However, they’d have a much better shot at returning to the Super Bowl if they can secure the return of Beast Mode.
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