Marshawn Lynch Contract: Latest News and Rumors on Negotiations with Seahawks

Updates from Thursday, July 31

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the latest on Marshawn Lynch's holdout:

Pro Football Talk reports Lynch and the Seahawks revised his contract:

A league source tells PFT that the Seahawks agreed to bump up Lynch’s base salary to persuade Lynch to report.

Under Lynch’s previous contract, he was due to make a $5 million base salary this year, plus $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses, and he could have earned another $500,000 in incentives if he had rushed for 1,500 yards. Now Lynch gets a base salary of $6 million (meaning the Seahawks effectively guaranteed the $1 million he previously would have had to earn), plus they’re taking $500,000 that he had been scheduled to get paid in 2015 and giving it to him now instead. In all, Lynch will make $6.5 million this year.

NFL: Around the League provides comments (or lack thereof) from Seahawks coach Pete Carroll:

Updates from Tuesday, July 29

Marshawn Lynch's holdout is officially costing him a lot of money as of Tuesday according to ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times provides an update on Lynch from GM John Schneider, who spoke in an interview with ESPN's John Clayton:

Are you getting concerned about Lynch? “You know, no. Everybody loves Beast Mode. We love him and respect the guy. I think what he’s done in this community, for this franchise, is outstanding. It’s one of those deals where you can never get inside somebody’s head. We’re just going with our plan, and I know it’s cliché-ish but next man up. We’ve had a plan in place here for a number of years, and we can’t veer from that plan for one person because it’s the ultimate team sport.”

Gives us examples of what that plan is? “Well, tough decisions. You make models two and three years out, and you have to stick to that and know that there’s going to be tough decisions along the way. We had to let guys like Red Bryant go, Chris Clemons, we weren’t able to sign Breno (Giacomini), Golden Tate. You have to be able to make those decisions along the way knowing you’ll be able to re-sign Michael Bennett and maybe there’s a free agent that comes in and fits in your bracket. It’s just one of those deals where you have to keep going about your business, and you can’t veer off of that. Around here we talk about what’s next, and the next person is up. That being said, last year we went through this with Brandon Browner. He had his deal, and (Byron Maxwell) got his opportunity. Hey, Marshawn Lynch is phenomenal. Phenomenal player and just a unique part of what we’ve had going on here. Two years ago we were able to redo his deal, and he was a big part of that foundation that we started here.

Updates from Sunday, July 27

Bob Candotta of The Seattle Times reported on Marshawn Lynch's status at training camp:

Updates from Friday, July 25

ESPN's NFL Twitter feed reports on a potential timeline for the holdout:

ESPN's Jim Trotter has an update on Seattle's stance with Lynch:

ESPN's Jessamyn McIntyre has more from the Seahawks perspective:

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio has an update on Lynch's plans to holdout:

Running back Marshawn Lynch wants a new deal from the Seahawks.  Per a source with knowledge of the situation, there’s a “zero percent chance” he’ll show up for the start of training camp without a contract that replaces the final two seasons of his four-year, $30 million contract.

Talks have been occurring on and off, according to the source, for four months.  The Seahawks have resisted due to concerns that giving a player a new contract with two years left on his current agreement would set a bad precedent.

Updates from Thursday, July 24

Former Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson broke some news on Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch's plans for training camp on the NFL Network on Thursday, via the NFL Media PR account:

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com added where the Seahawks currently stand:

Updates from Friday, June 20

John Broyle of the Seattle Herald has the latest on Lynch:

And speaking of Lynch, Robinson often served as the unofficial Marshawn Lynch spokesman when the two were locker neighbors, so naturally Robinson was asked about Lynch’s reported desire for a new contract.

“He’s confided in me about the situation,” Robinson said. “This is not the time to talk about it yet. When it is, he’ll let me know, and you guys will hear it.”

Robinson then went on to say, “The guy has been the face of this franchise for the last four years. Since the day he stepped in that door, it’s been Beast Mode. Just from my knowledge of it, he’s been the face of the franchise, Pete (Carroll), John (Schneider), they’ve made no qualms about saying that, and he’s just like ‘I just want to be paid like it.’”

While Robinson agrees with Lynch’s reasoning, he also understands it won’t be easy for his friend to get paid: “I think the devaluation of the back doesn’t help his case, the fact that he has two years let on his deal doesn’t help his case, which I’ve expressed to him. The fact that the biggest free agent running back signing (Chris Johnson) got $3.5 million a season doesn’t help him. But if you take Marshawn Lynch off the team last year, do we win the Super Bowl? I think all of us know the answer to that, so he just wants to be paid like it. He knows he has a short window left.”

Updates from Tuesday, June 17

According to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, Marshawn Lynch has already arrived at minicamp:

However, Lynch didn't participate at practice (via Liz Mathews of 710 ESPN):

As for the rest of the minicamp and preseason, Carroll elaborated on his plans for his running back (via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times and Todd Dybas of The (Tacoma) News Tribune):

Updates from Monday, June 16

Marshawn Lynch's teammate, Michael Bennett, shared his thoughts on Lynch's status within the Seahawks' organization on NFL AM this morning, courtesy of Marc Sessler of NFL.com:

Come back, Marshawn, come back! We need you. Without Marshawn, we wouldn't win a Super Bowl. Obviously he's one of the best running backs in the game, and he feels like he should be paid like one of the best backs in the game. And, of course, I agree with him. I mean, for a guy to take those kind of hits in the NFL and continue to do it at a high level?

Updates from Friday, June 13

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com has the latest on Lynch:

Marshawn Lynch told a few teammates before the Super Bowl that he would consider retirement if the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII. Despite unhappiness with his contract, it doesn't sound like that's a realistic option right now.

NFL Media's Jordan Babineaux said on NFL AM that he spoke with Lynch on Thursday from Oakland, and he can't see Lynch hanging up his cleats.

"I don't see Marshawn walking away just yet," Babineux said. "He's working on his training. He's doing the normal things that he always does. We actually went out last week when I was in Seattle and he and I had conversation and had a drink. The bottom line is, it is about the money. When a guy starts producing the way Marshawn has been producing, he wants to be paid."

Original Text

Have we seen the last of "Beast Mode" in the NFL? Speculation is surfacing that Seattle Seahawks star running back Marshawn Lynch may be walking away following his team's Super Bowl victory.

Lynch's future may depend on what happens if and when he sits down with the Seahawks to negotiate a contract extension. Sources have informed ESPN.com's Terry Blount that the four-time Pro Bowler likely won't attend next week's mandatory minicamp because he desires a new deal.

"It's very, very unlikely that Lynch will be there," one of Blount's sources said. "He wants the Seahawks to renegotiate his current contract and provide him with more up-front money."

Then this explosive bit of news regarding Lynch's potential retirement surfaced Thursday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

According to Blount, Lynch will be penalized $70,000 in fines for missing minicamp. The bruising ball-carrier is in the third year of a four-year contract worth $30 million, per Spotrac.com.

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com doesn't see Lynch squeezing in another big payday before his Seahawks career is finished:

The power rushing attack Lynch spearheaded for a number of years has been pivotal in building Seattle into one of the league's best. With the short shelf life running backs have in the modern NFL, though, it makes sense that Lynch is interested in seeking more money.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider is one of the savviest in the game, and he appears to have been preparing for the possibility that Lynch won't be around much longer. Backfield depth is nice to have as it is, but Seattle has really been stocking up. The team drafted Robert Turbin in the fourth round in 2012 and then Christine Michael in Round 2 of last year's draft.

ESPN's Louis Riddick believes Michael has all the skills to become the new featured back if Lynch is unwilling to continue:

There is almost no leverage to be had for Lynch, who has two talented, physical backs behind him on the depth chart to push him for playing time. That shouldn't be bad, because Lynch probably would benefit from sharing the burden after being such a workhorse since arriving in Seattle in 2010.

From the Seahawks' perspective, though, it may be difficult to replace what Lynch brings to the gridiron. With his unique combination of strength, speed and elusiveness, he forced an NFL-high 108 missed tackles in the regular season and playoffs last season, per Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson.

Whatever happens with the Seahawks' running back situation, they have a dual-threat quarterback in Russell Wilson who can always add a dynamic threat to the ground game. As long as Michael—or Turbin—can be passable and get downhill, there shouldn't be too much of a dip in production.

Plus, star wide receiver Percy Harvin was out for almost all of last year and has been known to log carries on occasion. Harvin will open up the rest of the passing offense for Wilson and his supporting cast, while also taking a few handoffs.

Lynch needs to develop a strong game plan and make sure he can sell the Seahawks on the notion that they should be paying him more. If he's unsuccessful, there's always retirement.