Is Marshawn Lynch Returning to Seattle? Seahawks Hold Talks to Bring 'Beast Mode' Back from Retirement
The Seattle Seahawks could be reunited with Marshawn Lynch next season, with growing speculation the star running back could come out of a retirement for a third time.
The 34-year-old returned to football for the first time in 14 months in December last season, rejoining the Seahawks before Week 17 and featuring in the season finale, wild-card and divisional round in the playoffs, scoring four touchdowns and carrying 30 times for a combined 67 yards.
The Seahawks are understood to be looking to add a veteran running back to their roster and Lynch's agent has held talks with the franchise.
"Well, it's almost on that 'expect the unexpected,'" Lynch told ESPN's Scott Van Pelt on Monday.
"My agent [Doug Hendrickson] has been in talks with Seattle, so like I said, we'll see what happens. If it works out and I get back up there, it is what it is. And if not, s**t, I'm lookin' good. So I ain't really trippin' too much."
At the time of Lynch's return in December, Seattle's backfield was decimated by injuries with starter Chris Carson and 2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny having suffered season-ending injuries.
While the former has recovered from a serious hip issue and should be available for Week 1, the latter could be forced to sit out the early stages of the 2020 NFL season as he continues to recover from knee surgery.
Aside from the duo, the Seahawks have another four running backs on their roster, including second-year Travis Homer and three rookies—DeeJay Dallas, a fourth-round pick in the NFL Draft last month, and Anthony Jones and Patrick Carr, who were both undrafted.
Selected with the 12th overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, Lynch moved to Seattle in 2010 and established himself as a bonafide NFL superstar during five years with the team, earning the nickname "Beast Mode" for his powerful, bruising running style and a penchant for steamrolling defenders.
During five seasons with the Seahawks, the five-time Pro Bowl selection won Super Bowl XLVIII and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2013 and 2014, before retiring on the day of Super Bowl 50 in February 2016. The former University of California, Berkeley, alumni eventually returned to pro football in April 2017 after agreeing terms with the Oakland Raiders, his hometown team.
Having started 15 games in his first year with the Raiders, Lynch featured in the first six games of the following season before suffering a groin injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign and eventually announcing a second retirement at the end of the season.
In his career to date, Lynch has played 149 NFL games, rushing for a combined 10,413 yards and 85 touchdowns at an average of 69.9 yards per game.
