Marshawn Lynch

5 reasons Marshawn Lynch should stay retired

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Nov 22, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) sits on the bench during the fourth quarter of a 29-13 Seattle victory against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Marshawn Lynch is thinking about coming back to the NFL around Week 5. Here are five reasons he should not be about that action boss and stay retired.

Minutes before the Thursday Night Kickoff of the 2016 NFL season, it was reported by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Marshawn Lynch may be mulling a comeback. Lynch would need about a month to get in football shape, so a Week 5 un-retirement could be on the table.

Lynch spent his nine-year NFL career between the Buffalo Bills and the Seattle Seahawks. He was a five-time NFL Pro Bowler, a six-time 1,000-yard rusher, an All-Pro in 2012 and a Super Bowl Champion with the 2013 Seahawks. While he could conceivably come back to the NFL in Week 5 in 2016, here are five reasons Lynch should stay retired.

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) on the field during the first quarter against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

5. It negatively impacts his Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy

A return for Lynch in 2016 would get him 10 years of NFL experience and an outside shot at 10,000 career rushing yards. While Lynch could theoretically get to 10,000 in 12 weeks (9,112 career rushing yards), a 2016 NFL comeback would actually have a negative impact on his Pro Football Hall of Fame legacy.

People best remember Lynch from his 5.5 years with the Seahawks. It would be weird to see him play for somebody else in 2016. Lynch would need to have another 1,000-yard rushing season to make the 2016 season worth it for him. He didn’t even remotely get close to that total last year (417).

Coming back in 2016 would look desperate, as he would just be chasing money and career milestones. He’s already put together a Hall of Fame worthy NFL career in just nine seasons. A 10th year would do more harm that good for his football legacy.

It would be better for Lynch to leave football a year late than to return, struggle, and make it look like his last game should have been Super Bowl XLIX. 2015 wasn’t kind to Lynch’s football legacy. He’s a borderline Hall of Famer as is. There is no reason for him to jeopardize his chances at Canton enshrinement with one more partial season.

Aug 18, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls (34) warms up before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at CenturyLink Field. Minnesota defeated Seattle, 18-11. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

4. He’s been replaced in Seattle

Lynch won’t be able to just walk into the Seahawks facility and get his job back. The Seahawks have appropriately replaced him with a larger workload for Thomas Rawls and Christine Michael this upcoming season.

Rawls was a top-10 fantasy running back in 2015 when Lynch appeared in only seven games for Seattle. Michael hasn’t played much in his short NFL career, but could see an Atlanta Falcons’ Michael Turner-type of surge in 2016 in an expanded role.

Lynch would have to be a third option at tailback for the Seahawks. Yes, he knows offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell’s system well, but would Lynch be willing to leave his ego at the door for a tertiary role in a Seahawks team that has already moved on from him?

Oct 5, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) works out before a game against the Detroit Lions at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

3. The internet needs him to do more cool stuff besides playing football

Lynch had a 2016 NFL offseason for the ages. He was seen ghost riding camels in the Egyptian desert. He was whipping around his native Oakland in cool cars. Lynch even tackled a teenager at one of his football camps.

The internet needs Lynch to keep doing what he does off the field and not mope on an NFL sidelines due to lack of playing time. Lynch is free to do whatever he wants in the world now that he doesn’t have to follow a strict NFL regiment. He needs to go on more adventures and keep making awesome videos.

If Lynch wants to do something more productive that just traveling the world, he could amplify his already strong social impact in the Bay Area community. He could still be a man of action fighting for causes he believes in. Lynch doesn’t have to be political like Colin Kaepernick, but Lynch is a name and people will listen to him.

Let’s be honest. Who wouldn’t want to see a reality show with Lynch going on a safari in the Serengeti or float down the Amazon on a fan boat? Lynch can still live an exciting life without having to put more damage on his body by playing football. Be all about that action, boss.

2. 2015 was a disappointment

Lynch may want to come back to the league, but NFL general managers know that he was not a productive player last season for the 2015 Seahawks. He appeared in just seven games, starting six of them. Lynch ran for 417 yards on 111 carries for three touchdowns.

Keep in mind that Lynch ran for 25 combined touchdowns to lead the NFL from 2013 to 2014. Lynch’s yard per carry average in 2015 was only 3.8. The last time Lynch average fewer that 4.0 yards per carry was in 2010. That was the season he was traded mid-year from the Bills to the Seahawks.

The NFL is a ‘what have you done for me lately?’ type of league. 2016 is two years removed from his last productive NFL season in 2014. Why would anybody think Lynch would have a bounce back season after missing an entire NFL training camp and most of the year prior? Time and NFL salary caps are not on his side.

Unless Lynch wants to play for a veteran’s minimum contract, he’s not going to get the money he wants in 2016. Yes, a front office could put together some sort of incentive-laden deal, but how many benchmarks is Lynch going to hit in a shortened 12-game season?

Jan 17, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) reacts during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers in a NFC Divisional round playoff game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

1. He’d be a 30-year-old NFL running back

A running back on has so many hits in him before he is spent. Lynch is 30 years old, played in nine NFL seasons, and three seasons in the Pac-10 for the California Golden Bears. Given the position he played for 16 years counting high school, how much can Lynch realistically have left in the tank.

When Lynch retired, he played in 127 NFL games, starting in 114 of them. He has 2,144 career carries and 252 career catches. In short, Lynch has been hit by NFL defensive players over 2,300 times. Even if he has a 2,500-hit limit before it’s done for him, that’s not enough for one more NFL season for Lynch.

Running backs rapidly decay in the NFL. Most stop being productive players by their 28th or 29th birthday. Lynch will be 30 for the entire 2016 NFL season. He is an amazing talent, but not the Adonis physical specimen of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who continues to thrive in his early 30s.

It’s understandable that at this time of the year a former player like Lynch could feel the it for an NFL comeback, but it is in his best interest to keep the spikes hung up for good. He had a fantastic nine-year NFL career that will stand the test of time. Don’t worry about going Beast Mode again. Just enjoy retirement, boss.