NFL Rumors: Marshawn Lynch To Come Out Of Retirement And Sign With The Oakland Raiders
For one NFL season, the world was without “Beast Mode” as Marshawn Lynch officially retired from the Seattle Seahawks and the league last year. Well, that one season may be all that the fans have to be without him. Rumor has it that he will come out of retirement and sign with the Oakland, soon to be Las Vegas, Raiders.
There has been speculation for months now, but it appears as if Lynch is seriously thinking of coming out of retirement and getting back into the NFL. According to ESPN, Lynch has visited with the Oakland Raiders. And while there are a few hurdles to overcome, but the deal between the two “will happen.”
Marshawn Lynch is at Raiders’ facility today, as @PatMcAfeeShow reported. Source believes eventually “it will happen.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 5, 2017
It was former NFL punter Pat McAfee who first reported that Lynch was going to be meeting with the Oakland Raiders, but it isn’t just as simple as signing with them. The Seattle Seahawks are actually still in possession of his rights, but they did grant him permission to visit the Raiders.
Marshawn Lynch will be 31-years-old in a little over two weeks, and he last played in 2015, where he played in just seven games and rushed for 417 yards and three touchdowns. Throughout his career, the hard-nosed running back has 9,112 yards and 74 touchdowns over the course of nine seasons.
As it currently stands, the Raiders have DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richardson at running back, but they are both only entering their second seasons in the NFL. In 2016, they combined for less than 1,000 yards, and the Raiders allowed leading rusher Latavius Murray to leave for the Minnesota Vikings in free agency.
Last week, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he met with Lynch about a possible comeback and said the running back was “somewhat entertaining” the idea of it. In just about two weeks, his idea has gone from “somewhat entertaining” it to speaking with the Raiders about signing with them.
On Marshawn Lynch: My understanding is that meeting with Jack Del Rio is the final hurdle. If the #Raiders coach signs off, dominoes fall.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 5, 2017
Derek Carr was easily one of the top MVP candidates last season before going out due to injury and the Raiders have one of the strongest offensive lines in the entire NFL. The addition of Marshawn Lynch would instantly turn the Oakland Raiders into serious contenders for a Super Bowl run in 2017.
Right now, the discussion of Lynch to the Raiders is extremely serious, but again, some obstacles need to be overcome first.
If the Seattle Seahawks were to release Lynch, that would make things extremely simple for Oakland, as all they would need to do is discuss a new contract. Considering the Seahawks still hold his rights, they won’t want to do that, as they’re looking to get something in return for letting him go.
Marshawn Lynch coming out of retirement would mean a salary cap hit of $9 million for the upcoming season and a base salary of $7 million for 2018. A trade would need to be worked out between the two teams. The Raiders have money to spend, but they don’t want to break the bank.
Marshawn Lynch’s retirement is something that a lot of people didn’t see coming as he was only 29-years-old at the time and had been in the NFL for less than 10 years. Still, the socially awkward running back found it was time to walk away from the Seattle Seahawks and the game of football, but he couldn’t stay away forever. If all goes according to plan, the Oakland Raiders are going to end up an even bigger AFC threat with “Beast Mode” in the backfield.
[Featured Image by Jamie Squire/Getty Images]
