Potentially thinking about playing this upcoming season, the recently retired Marshawn Lynch has reportedly asked for his release from the Seattle Seahawks (more on that here).
That was walked back a little bit on Friday, but it seems readily apparent that Lynch wants to play for his hometown Oakland Raiders.
There’s one small issue with this. Lynch is under contract with Seattle for the 2018 season. As of right now, if he were to play in the NFL in 2017, it would have to be with the Seahawks.
The interesting note here is that Lynch is set to count $9 million against the cap in 2017, which would make him the second highest-paid running back in the NFL. That’s not necessarily a recipe for success for a Seahawks team that just signed Eddie Lacy and is currently $13 million under the cap.
“The Seattle Seahawks placed Lynch on the retired/reserved list last May, ESPN’s Sheil Kapadia reported on Saturday. “If he decides to come out of retirement, they would retain his rights under the terms of his last contract, which has two years remaining on it.”
That’s not necessarily a sustainable situation for a Seahawks team that’s in need of help on both sides of the ball, especially along the offensive line.
So while we wait for official word on Lynch’s unretirement, it’s important to note that things are not as cut and dry with Seattle as they seem. If Lynch were to return and force the Seahawks’ hand, he would likely be released. The team can’t afford him at his current cost. Oakland sure can.