The Seattle Seahawks have heard the talk about Marshawn Lynch retiring in the past. The running back has toyed with the idea before in hopes of squeezing more money out of the Seattle Seahawks. He was a holdout last year in training camp for that very reason. It is unclear if this time around is any different as Lynch is once again thinking of calling it quits, but he is forcing Seattle to consider a Plan B at the position.
According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, Lynch is dealing with back injuries that could force him off the field sooner rather than later. Lynch is reportedly dealing with chronic back issues that will make his decision on a return a difficult one. The running back has compressed cartilage in his back, something that could end up getting significantly worse.
The news surrounding Lynch this year has been all over the place. He was expected to be released from Seattle before the mid-season trading deadline. Then he was negotiating a contract to return for a number of years and now he is considering retirement once again. Rapoport believes the Seahawks were preparing to offer a contract worth upwards of $10 million in 2015. Is Lynch simply dangling retirement in order to get more money in another contract?
"Oh, man," Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson said, via ESPN.com. "I'll let you hypothesize on that theory, but I'm a little too close to the situation to be able to really say. But, yes, that's a good hypothesis."
The Seahawks are trying to make Lynch happy, but can only offer so much money with the contract to Russell Wilson in the works. The quarterback is expected to become the highest-paid player in the league. The question becomes how does Seattle replace Lynch if he does retire? Lynch was a crucial part of the offense and the depth behind him failed to impress which means free agency or a trade is the only option.
Seattle could try and sign DeMarco Murray, but they might not have the cap space. They could try and trade for Matt Forte or LeSean McCoy depending on the price. The Seahawks have of course been linked to Adrian Peterson. They could also try and grab more affordable options like Mark Ingram, Knowshon Moreno or CJ Spiller in free agency.