Marshawn Lynch Updates: Friday

Marshawn Lynch has dominated headlines today, with the longtime Seahawks running back close to coming out of retirement to play for the Raiders. Despite a deal being reported earlier today, it doesn’t look to be finalized yet. And Seattle still holds the soon-to-be 31-year-old back’s rights.

Here’s the latest coming out of the Lynch-to-Oakland saga.

• A deal has yet to commence, with the report of such finality being “100 percent false,” per Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Gehlken adds that the contract length for the Raiders and Lynch is expected to carry over to the team’s Las Vegas years. The Raiders’ stay in Oakland could be limited to one year, based on how their lame-duck arrangement goes this season, but the team is not scheduled to venture to Vegas until at least the 2019 season. Lynch coming back and playing for at least three more seasons may take a bit of a leap of faith considering his recent retirement. He will turn 31 next weekend.
• Lynch himself, in a way few can, candidly dismissed notion a deal was done (Twitter link). Lynch’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, texted an Oakland-area radio show (per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, via Twitter) to say no agreement is yet in place. Florio adds (on Twitter) the deal is “not even close” to being done.
• The Raiders, though, are reportedly impressed with the kind of shape the retired back was in during his visit to team headquarters, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets. Breer adds the talks between the Raiders and Lynch on a deal remain “ongoing and positive.” Lynch played only seven games in 2015 for the Seahawks and saw a streak of four straight 1,000-yard seasons end.
• Lynch is not currently at the Raiders’ facility, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter), who does not expect an accord to arrive today. Tafur tweets there isn’t much urgency on the Raiders’ part for this, but he believes the sides will agree and Lynch will be playing for his hometown team in 2017. Lynch would be in line to head up a backfield that also features promising complements DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard.
• Tafur expects Reggie McKenzie to land Lynch for cheaper than the Vikings paid previous Oakland starter Latavius Murray (Twitter link). Murray, whom the Raiders were open to re-signing before he latched on with the Vikes, signed with Minnesota on a three-year, $15MM deal. Although, that deal could void after one season. So, Tafur expects Lynch to sign with the Raiders for less than $5MM. The last time Lynch made less than $5MM in a season was 2011.