Has Beast Mode come to an end, not only for the Seattle Seahawks, but the entire NFL?
Seahawks general manager John Schneider said during a radio interview Friday that he thinks there’s a good chance Seattle star running back Marshawn Lynch will retire this offseason.
“I’m under the impression he’s leaning toward retirement,” Schneider told 710 AM ESPN Seattle.
Lynch’s future is perhaps the biggest question immediately surrounding the Seahawks as they head into the offseason. Lynch spent the past six season as Seattle’s workhorse ball carrier, amassing 6,347 yards on the ground and being named to four Pro Bowls.
But after missing only one game during his first five seasons with Seattle, Lynch had an injury-plagued 2015, missing two games because of a hamstring injury, then another eight because of an abdominal injury that required surgery. He finished with just 417 yards on 111 carries in seven games during the regular season.
Next season Lynch will be 30, which is old for a running back. Schneider admitted he did not know Lynch’s intentions for certain. But whispers about Lynch potentially retiring came up last offseason before Lynch signed a two-year contract extension that extends through the 2017 season. Those whispers are back, especially with Lynch suffering significant injuries for the first time in his NFL career.
“I just know we’re going to treat him with as much respect as we possibly can here, give him a little leeway to find his way in terms of what he wants to do,” Schneider said.
If Lynch retires, the Seahawks are still in good shape at running back. Undrafted rookie Thomas Rawls had an excellent season, gaining 830 yards in Lynch’s absence and leading the league with 5.6 yards per carry before suffering a season-ending ankle injury.
Lynch is scheduled to make $11.5 million next season. Should Lynch and the Seahawks part ways, whether it’s through retirement or Seattle releasing him, the Seahawks would receive $6.5 million of relief under the salary cap.
Schneider also said he expects tight end Jimmy Graham to be back with the team next season.
Graham, Seattle’s big offseason acquisition, had some issues fitting into Seattle’s offense early in the season. He then suffered a season-ending knee injury, and the Seahawks’ offense did not suffer in Graham’s absence. Graham finished the season with 48 catches for 605 yards in 11 games.
That’s led to speculation. Graham is scheduled to make $9 million next season, but none of it is guaranteed, meaning Seattle could release Graham and recoup all $9 million under the salary cap. However, when asked if he expected Graham to be back next season, Schneider answered with an immediate, “Yes.
“Personally, I think people were a little hard on Jimmy,” Schneider added. “He started going once our offense started going. I look at it as part of our maturation offensively, like how we were coming together early in the season. I don’t look at it like he wasn’t the Jimmy Graham of old.”
Seattle has 17 unrestricted free agents and seven restricted free agents. Among the unrestricted free agents are seven starters: offensive linemen Russell Okung and J.R. Sweezy, receiver Jermaine Kearse, defensive tackles Brandon Mebane and Ahtyba Rubin, linebacker Bruce Irvin and cornerback Jeremy Lane. Schneider declined to talk specifically about any players, but he did say he wanted to keep the team as intact as possible.
“We attack the offseason the same way that we always have,” Schneider said. “We know what our deficiencies are and we’re going to try to compensate for those deficiencies as we go. But we’re not going to go crazy in one area and panic just because we think we’re struggling there. We’re going to be smart, we’re going to be aggressive.”
Check out Nick Patterson’s Seattle Sidelines blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/seattlesidelines, and follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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