Marshawn Lynch - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Seahawks, Marshawn Lynch

December 23rd, 2019 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Marshawn Lynch will take a physical for the Seahawks on Monday and “both sides are optimistic he is back wearing [No.] 24,” a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

If signed, Lynch can participate in a huge Week 17 game for the Seahawks. With a win over the 49ers, the Seahawks can capture the NFC West division and, possibly, a first-round bye, depending on how the Packers fare on Monday night.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll is optimistic about a possible reunion.

“He’ll be flying in here this morning and we’re gonna give him a really good chance to come back and play for us, Carroll said on 710 ESPN. “I think it’s freakin’ great if he could get back out there and tote the ball for us.”

Following injuries to Chris Carson, C.J. Prosise, and Rashaad Penny, the Seahawks are in desperate need of backfield help. Lynch might be a bit rusty, but he offers a wealth of experience and familiarity with the Seahawks’ offense. The Seahawks are hoping that Lynch can get back in the groove, starting this week, and help them in their quest for another Super Bowl ring.

If things don’t work out with Lynch, the Seahawks could also consider fellow veteran running back Robert Turbin.

Seahawks To Meet With Marshawn Lynch

December 23rd, 2019 at 9:52am CST by Zachary Links

Beast Mode just might return to Seattle. Marshawn Lynch and the Seahawks will meet in Seattle to discuss a reunion on Monday, sources tell Mike Garafolo, Ian Rapoport, and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).

The Seahawks desperately need running back help and are open to pulling Lynch out of retirement. Running backs Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise will likely miss the rest of the season with hip and arm injuries, respectively, leaving them perilously thin in the backfield.

Lynch is undoubtedly rusty, but there are limited options available at this stage of the year. For what it’s worth, Lynch left the door open for a return to the Raiders in May, so he might not be 100% finished with football.

Lynch, 33, saw just six games in an injury-shortened 2018 with the Raiders. In the previous year, however, he appeared in 15 games and averaged a solid 4.3 yards per carry. He finished out that year with 891 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns, plus 20 catches for 151 yards.

Lynch, of course, spent the 2010-2015 seasons with the Seahawks and helped the team capture a Super Bowl ring. Then, in the Seahawks’ following Super Bowl appearance, they opted against giving Lynch the ball near the goal line, which wound up costing them the game.

At 11-4, the Seahawks have already punched their ticket to the postseason. They still have a shot at winning the NFC West as well. Their Week 17 matchup against the Niners will determine the division and could even unlock a first-round bye, if the Packers lose tonight against the Vikings.

Seahawks Lose Trio Of Players

December 22nd, 2019 at 7:35pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Seahawks lost a tough one at home to the Cardinals on Sunday, and the news got much worse after the game. Running backs Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise will likely miss the rest of the season with hip and arm injuries respectively, head coach Pete Carroll announced to the media. Caroll also revealed that starting left tackle Duane Brown would undergo surgery on his knee and that while he could make it back for the playoffs, he won’t play next week.

That’s all very unfortunate, since Seattle has a crucial Week 17 game against the 49ers that will determine who wins the NFC West and in turn gets a home playoff game. The Seahawks were already playing without key defensive pieces in Jadeveon Clowney and Shaquill Griffin, and it’s unclear if either of them will make it back for next week. Either way, the Seahawks will now be very shorthanded for their showdown with San Francisco.

Rashaad Penny recently landed on injured reserve with an ACL injury, so Seattle has virtually no running backs left after today. They’ll certainly be making a move or two this week, and Carroll acknowledged as much by saying “John’s gotta get working” in reference to GM John Schneider, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Carson had been having a very solid year before going down, and will finish the season with 1,190 yards on the ground and nine total touchdowns.

Depending on who they add to the roster this week, rookie sixth-round pick Travis Homer currently profiles as the team’s starter at running back for Week 17. The Miami product now has eight carries in his career after handling five on Sunday. Brown is the anchor of the offensive line, and his absence will be sorely felt. 2018 fifth-round pick Jamarco Jones started two games when Brown was hurt earlier this year.

As for who Seattle will pick up, there are plenty of serviceable veteran options available. They worked out Robert Turbin and Alfred Blue last week after Penny went down, so perhaps one of those guys will get a call. Additionally, C.J. Anderson is a player the team might have interest in, Condotta hears (Twitter link). Anderson joined the Rams late in the season last year and ended up playing a huge role in their Super Bowl run, so he’s no stranger to this type of situation. Even more interestingly, Condotta tweets that he doesn’t “think it can be ruled out” that they might sign Marshawn Lynch. Lynch retired back in April, but left the door open for a return to the Raiders in May, so he might not be 100 percent finished. That would certainly be entertaining.

Marshawn Lynch Open To Raiders Return

May 1st, 2019 at 4:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Maybe Marshawn Lynch isn’t dead set on retirement after all. The running back – who hung up his cleats just days ago – would be open to a Raiders return if the team wants him back, Steve Wyche of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears.

A Lynch return made some degree of sense in the wake of Isaiah Crowell‘s (likely) season-ending injury. However, the Raiders moved fast on Wednesday by re-signing Doug Martin. Now, the Raiders running back room feels crowded once again with Martin, rookie Joshua Jacobs, Jalen Richard, Chris Warren III, and DeAndre Washington under contract.

But, even if he’s not a fit for the Raiders in 2019, one has to wonder whether Lynch would entertain the idea of playing elsewhere. The 33-year-old is certainly past his prime, but he has averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry for the Raiders over the last two years and would add toughness to any backfield.

For his career, Beast Mode owns five Pro Bowl nods, one First-Team All-Pro selection, and a Super Bowl ring.

Marshawn Lynch Retires From NFL

April 24th, 2019 at 8:55am CST by Zachary Links

Marshawn Lynch has retired. Again.

After returning from his first retirement to play for the Raiders, the running back is not planning to take the field again, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.

Lynch, who just turned 33, leaves the game with a legacy as an exciting fan favorite. Beast Mode earned five Pro Bowl nods throughout his career and even secured a 2012 First-Team All-Pro selection when he tallied 1,590 yards and eleven touchdowns. He also led the league in rushing touchdowns on multiple occasions and racked up 1,200 yards or more in each season from 2011 through 2014.

With the Raiders, Lynch was effective, though not super consistent. Lynch rushed for 1,267 yards on 297 carries in his 21 games for Oakland, giving him an average of 4.3 yards per attempt in silver and black. Last year, Lynch lost the bulk of the season to a groin injury and was unable to return down the stretch.

Without Lynch, the Raiders will move forward with a backfield headlined by Isaiah Crowell, Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington, and Chris Warren. They may also look to bolster the group in the draft.

PFR wishes Lynch the best in retirement.

West Notes: Gates, Matthews, Raiders, Cards

March 26th, 2019 at 9:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Chargers have a lesser need at the tight end position than they did when they brought Antonio Gates back for a 16th season, a 17th Gates campaign with the Bolts remains on the radar. But the team has the future Hall of Famer on the back-burner for the time being. Budgetary issues represent the Chargers’ near-future concerns, with Anthony Lynn saying (via Pro Football Talk) Tuesday the team informed Gates it may be a bit before a decision is reached on whether or not to bring him back. Tom Telesco sounded optimistic about a Gates return in January. Hunter Henry stands to be healthy for training camp, and Virgil Green remains on the roster. The Chargers had this duo healthy during free agency last year and bid farewell to Gates. Henry’s injury brought the parties back together, with Gates making $2.5MM. It will be interesting to see if the Bolts have all three on their roster this season.

Here is the latest from the West divisions:

With Isaiah Crowell set to visit the Raiders on Thursday, the futures of Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin may soon become even more uncertain. However, Jon Gruden said (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, subscription required) the door remains open on Lynch. Martin, however, may see Crowell — if Gruden gets his wish and he signs — push him aside. Martin’s asking price may have been too high, per Tafur (on Twitter). The Raiders had wanted to re-sign Martin, but not much has transpired on this front since free agency opened. Martin bounced back after consecutive seasons of 2.9 yards per carry, averaging 4.2 per tote and being the Raiders’ primary rusher following Lynch’s injury.
Clay Matthews received a decent mid-level deal to sign with the Rams, with Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reporting (on Twitter) the veteran outside linebacker’s contract is for two years and $12.75MM. Of that total, $6.5MM is guaranteed. Matthews’ deal can max out at $16.75MM. Matthews made more than $10MM in base salary in each of the past two seasons.
The NFL has intervened on the Broncos‘ ownership situation. Roger Goodell said 49ers GM Carmen Policy is serving as the arbitrator for the dispute between the Broncos’ Pat Bowlen Trust members and the owner’s two oldest daughters — Beth Bowlen Wallace and Amie Klemmer, via Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post (Twitter links). This process began a few weeks ago. Both Bowlen Wallace and Klemmer have filed a motion to dismiss the arbitration, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic (on Twitter). This is Policy’s first time serving as an NFL arbitrator. The Bowlen Trust members are seeking the arbitrator to determine who will take over as the next Broncos owner, among other points (per Jhabvala). Brittany Bowlen has long been viewed as the Trust’s preferred candidate, and the 29-year-old is expected to return to the Broncos this year.
A defensive tackle in the Chargers’ 4-3 defense the past two seasons, Darius Philon will return to a role as a 3-4 defensive end with his new team. The Cardinals are planning to use Philon as an end, Kliff Kingsbury said (via ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss, on Twitter).
C.J. Prosise saw another injury cost him time last season, and Pete Carroll said (via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta) Tuesday the fourth-year running back underwent abdominal surgery recently. The Seahawks lost Mike Davis but still have Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny. Carroll remains hopeful Prosise can contribute, but the former third-round pick has gained just 129 yards from scrimmage over the past two seasons.

Latest On Marshawn Lynch, Raiders

March 1st, 2019 at 8:40pm CST by Micah Powell

The Raiders are still waiting to see how veteran running back Marshawn Lynch recovers from his groin injury to decide if they bring him back in 2019, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch writes.

Lynch, who will turn 33 before the 2019 season kicks off, is expected to have more of an interest in returning to his hometown team now that the team will for sure be playing their games in the Bay Area. Head coach Jon Gruden said the decision is one that will likely play itself out before the draft.

“I think the coming weeks will give us a better indication where is physically,” he said. “That’s the No. 1 agenda. We have to find out officially how he has responded to the injury. We’ll know something here in a couple of weeks.”

Though his season was cut short by that groin injury, Lynch still managed to average 4.2 yards per carry while gaining 376 yards on the ground. The five-time Pro Bowl selection ranks 29th all time in rushing yards and 16th in rushing touchdowns.

The Raiders are sure to be in the market for a running back as both Lynch and Doug Martin are free agents heading into 2019.

Latest On Raiders’ Marshawn Lynch

February 25th, 2019 at 4:01pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders will play in Oakland for at least one more year and that improves the odds of a Marshawn Lynch return, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Oakland native was not interested in the alternative scenarios that would have seen the Raiders playing outside of the region, but the running back could be convinced to come back to play in his hometown.

Lynch, 33 in April, saw his 2018 season cut short by a groin injury. He appeared in only six games, though he still managed to average 4.2 yards per carry as a part of a shaky Raiders offense.

For what it’s worth, Jon Gruden says the Raiders would “love” to have Lynch back in uniform. Still, Lynch is out of contract, so a new deal will be required. veteran Doug Martin is also ticketed for free agency and younger option Jalen Richard will be a restricted free agent, so there are a lot of moving parts involved.

Over the course of his career, Lynch has accumulated five Pro Bowl nods and one first-team All-Pro selection. He’s averaged 4.3 yards per carry across eleven seasons and has posted double-digit touchdown totals in four separate campaigns.

Raiders Want Marshawn Lynch Back

January 22nd, 2019 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Marshawn Lynch isn’t sure whether he’ll return for a 12th NFL season in 2019, but if he does, Jon Gruden says he wants him on the Raiders. When speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Gruden said he’d love to have Beast Mode back in silver and black.

“We’d love to have him back,” Gruden said (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal).

Lynch is out of contract, so a new deal would be required in order to keep him in the fold. From the Raiders’ perspective, it only makes sense to hang on to the bruising running back. Fellow veteran Doug Martin is also ticketed for free agency and younger option Jalen Richard will be a restricted free agent. In fact, the Raiders have only two running backs under contract for 2019 in DeAndre Washington and Chris Warren.

Lynch, 33 in April, initially retired back in 2016, but he ended up joining his home-town Raiders on a two-year deal in 2017. His first season in Oakland saw him rush for 891 yards and seven touchdowns, and he had similar production in 2018, rushing for 376 yards and three touchdowns in six games. Unfortunately, the veteran suffered what proved to be a season-ending groin injury in October.

The Raiders’ location in 2019 may also impact Lynch’s decision on whether (and where) to play. There’s still hope for the Raiders to be in Oakland next season, but nothing is final and other options are being explored.

RB Marshawn Lynch To Continue Playing?

January 19th, 2019 at 9:51am CST by Ben Levine

Could Marshawn Lynch return for a 12th NFL season in 2019? Well…maybe. Appearing on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, Lynch said he’d continue playing if the right opportunity presented itself.

“If it works out that way then I will,” Lynch said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com).

The 32-year-old initially retired back in 2016, but he ended up joining his home-town Raiders on a two-year deal in 2017. His first season in Oakland saw him rush for 891 yards and seven touchdowns, and he had similar production in 2018, rushing for 376 yards and three touchdowns in six games. Unfortunately, the veteran suffered what proved to be a season-ending groin injury in October, and that left some to wonder whether Lynch had played in his final NFL game.

The impending free agent may have a tough time finding a gig that’d work out for both sides. Lynch has appeared in more than 150 regular season and postseason games, and teams seeking running back depth would surely be enticed by younger options. Furthermore, the Raiders may not be playing in Oakland next season, meaning Lynch won’t be able to stick around his hometown.

Of course, regardless of where they end up playing, the Raiders would seem to be a natural fit for the veteran. Fellow veteran running back Doug Martin will be hitting free agency, while Jalen Richard will be a restricted free agent. The organization will head into the offseason with two running backs under contract: DeAndre Washington and Chris Warren.