Seahawks should’ve been ‘thankful’
Since before the beginning of the 2014-15 NFL Season, there have long been rumors that Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch might consider retiring after this season. Who could blame them? After losing the Superbowl because they decided not to give him the ball in the final seconds.
On ESPN radio 710 Seattle Tuesday, Seahawks general manager John Schneider made the strongest statement yet from the organization that retirement is indeed a possibility for the Seattle star running back, saying Lynch has yet to make a decision about playing in 2015.
“Whether or not he wants to play next year, I can’t answer that,” Schneider said in an interview on the Brock and Salk Show on the team’s flagship station. “I don’t know if he knows at this juncture.”
Schneider said Lynch, who turns 29 in April, “needs to find out where he’s at” so the team can go forward with negotiations on a new contract. Schneider confirmed the team will re-do Lynch’s contract if he does return in 2015, saying “he knows if he’s back he’s not going to be playing at the same number he’s scheduled to make.”
Schneider did not go into specifics on the salary cap number. Lynch is scheduled to make a base of $5 million in 2015 with a roster bonus of $2 million a salary cap hit of $8.5 million, with $1.5 million in dead money.
Reports have been that the Seahawks would give Lynch a raise for next year and an extension, but one that could lessen the cap hit in 2015.
My biggest concern is Russell Wilson, who should receive one of the biggest contracts in NFL history after leading his team to 2 Super Bowls in 3 years. But Schneider had good news about Russell Wilson’s contract, Schneider hinted at Wilson being willing to get creative with his deal to give the team flexibility to continue winning, saying that “Russell Wilson wants to win championships” and that that means “thinking outside of the box a lot of times. We will do that with Russell. Russell knows there are certain dominoes that have to fall into place. … He knows, he gets it. He wants to win. He wants to win for a long time.”
Hopefully the Seahawks can get it together and not fall apart after being so close to back-to-back championships.
Syed Mikhail Hussain is fan of all things NYC and Hip Hop. Winner of the sperm race back in ’89. He does a weekly basketball podcast. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at @swishthis.
