Marshawn Lynch is very aware of just how important he is to the Seattle Seahawks. The push to try and get Robert Turbin and Christine Michael more involved in the run game in 2014 did not work out as Lynch was simply unstoppable. With that leverage in mind, the running back plans on trying to get as much money from the Seahawks as possible and could be using some mind games to make it work.
According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, there is no guarantee that Lynch plays next season altogether. The NFL reporter asked a source close to the running back whether or not Lynch planned to return to the NFL and the response was simply, "Not sure yet." Now Lynch has played the retirement card before. Last year, he wanted more money from the Seahawks and held out from much of the fall workouts stating that he may or may not play again. When the Seahawks did not bend to his requests, the running back reported and everything was normal.
The only leverage Lynch can pull with the Seahawks is not playing at all. The running back still has one more year remaining on his contract so he cannot threaten to walk away. He can only say he will not play and hope the Seahawks give him more money this time around. Despite saying that Lynch is an irreplaceable asset on the roster, the Seahawks have been tied to enough trade rumors with the running back that they likely would not hesitate to pull the trigger on a deal.
Head coach Pete Carroll confirmed to the media via ESPN.com that the Seahawks and Lynch have discussed a contract extension with the running back and negotiations have been ongoing for some time now. He stated the ball was in Lynch's court as to what he wants to do. Carroll made no guarantees anything would come from the talks considering the team's real priority is a contract for Russell Wilson. Lynch's only options are either to retire or return to Seattle. His contract puts a hold on his decision making.
If Lynch stalls on a deal, the Seahawks could easily halt negotiations and focus on Wilson. The quarterback is expected to become the highest paid player in the NFL and the Seahawks have the cap space to make it work. Negotiations have not been reported between the two sides, but Wilson made it clear that he intends to remain with Seattle for as long as possible.
