Seattle Seahawks Rumors: Marshawn Lynch Could End His Retirement And Return To The Team, Richard Sherman Hints

The Seattle Seahawks lost a big piece of their offense when Marshawn Lynch decided to hang up his cleats for good, but new rumors indicate that the Beast Mode could be moving back out of retirement mode very soon.

Lynch surprised many in the organization when he announced in February that he would end his NFL playing career. Though at 29 last season he was a bit over the hill as far as running backs go, Lynch didn’t seem to have lost a step and would have had at least one or two more seasons of top-level play ahead. But always enigmatic, Lynch decided to quit and announced his retirement by tweeting a picture of cleats hanging up.

It may not be permanent, however. There are rumors that the Seattle Seahawks could be getting Marshawn Lynch back, and they’re coming from one of his closest teammates.

“I don’t put anything past him,” cornerback Richard Sherman told NFL Network‘s Michael Robinson. “He’s about as predictable as a pair of dice. So I don’t try to call his plays.

“But it’s obviously going to be different. We got a little sample of it last year. We had to play without him for a good portion of the season. I think we’re prepared for it in some aspects. But you never really want to be prepared for that. You would hope that he comes back. In the back of your mind, you hope he comes back and plays another year. But he doesn’t owe us anything. He’s given us everything. He’s given the game everything we asked.”

Will Marshawn Lynch play in 2016? Richard Sherman doesn’t put anything past Beast Mode https://t.co/nbAeoVjA94 pic.twitter.com/NWSypslSeH

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 22, 2016

If Marshawn Lynch does want to come out of retirement, it could make for a difficult situation for the Seattle Seahawks. The team placed him on the retired/reserved list already this month and have moved forward on plans for second-year back Thomas Rawls to take the lead role on the team. The Seahawks also spent considerable capital on their running game, drafting tailbacks in the third, fifth, and seventh rounds of this month’s NFL Draft.

There were also no guarantees that Marshawn Lynch would have a spot on the team next season, even if he had continued his career. Lynch’s salary would cost $11.5 million against the cap next season, the highest amount league-wide for a running back

As the New York Post noted, there were some rumors that the Seattle Seahawks may have ended up cutting Marshawn Lynch.

“Even if those around him persuade him to delay hanging his cleats up, there is no certainty the franchise will take him back. Lynch, a five-time Pro Bowler, would cost $11.5 million against the salary cap next season. 22-year-old Thomas Rawls was a revelation filling in for Beast Mode (before Rawls himself went down with an ankle injury), and he’s owed just $530,000 for 2016.”

The Seahawks appeared to have those plans in place within days of Marshawn Lynch’s retirement in February. Rawls already earned a key spot on the team, running well while Lynch was out with injury last season. The team reportedly felt comfortable with Rawls in the lead role for an offense that is already pass-happy, relying heavily on quarterback Russell Wilson.

“The undrafted rookie showed great promise as he filled in for Lynch until an ankle injury ended his season,” reported Thomas Pittman of King 5 News. “His durability will remain in question until he gets through a full 16 games. But assuming Lynch is leaving Seattle, Rawls will be the presumed starter heading into 2016.”

Lynch had a career-low 417 yards on 111 carries last season, but was hampered by injuries and rarely at his best.

The rumors that the Seattle Seahawks may see the return of Marshawn Lynch are likely off the mark. Sources close to the running back said he was content in his decision to leave the game and had been incredibly frugal during his career to prepare for retirement. In an interview on The Ian & Puck Show on 950 AM KJR in Seattle, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network said Lynch hasn’t spent any of the $50 million in salary that he’s made during his NFL career, instead living off endorsements.

[Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images]