Marshawn Lynch Rumors: Did Running Back Just Hint At Oakland Raiders Contract?

Marshawn Lynch rumors took another interesting turn. Some NFL fans believe Lynch hinted at playing with the Oakland Raiders through his Twitter feed this weekend. Another social media user on Twitter posted an interesting song choice that Lynch had put on his Beast Mode playlist. That track is titled “Oakland Raiders” but the fact that it was shared by one of his fans isn’t the story here. The story is that Lynch decided to retweet the message, drawing immediate interest to his Twitter page once again.

There are a few ways to look at this situation from an analytical perspective. The first way is that this piece of Marshawn Lynch news is nothing more than the former Seattle Seahawks running back enjoying that one of his fans shared his playlist. A second way to look at this is that Lynch saw an opportunity to tease (or troll) NFL fans about what his future plans are in the league. The third way to look at it is that Lynch actually wants to play for the Oakland Raiders and that he is dropping a significant hint about his personal wishes.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, there is no easy way for these Marshawn Lynch rumors to play out. If Lynch does want to play for the Raiders, there are a number of steps that have to take place before he can even consider that move. The Seattle Seahawks still have Lynch under contract, meaning the team controls his fate in the league. If Lynch unretires, he would immediately go back on the Seahawks’ active roster, with the team then in control of his long-term aspirations. It’s not a situation where he could just decide to sign a free agent contract with the Oakland Raiders.

That often referenced Marshawn Lynch contract would pay him a base salary of $9 million in 2017 and then $7 million in 2018. That second season would also include a roster bonus of $3 million. When Lynch retired following the 2015 NFL season, he still had those two years left on his deal. If Lynch unretires, then the years are activated, making him a paid member of the Seahawks’ roster. Seahawks General manager John Schneider would then have to decide whether to play, trade, or cut Lynch. This would make it very difficult for the Raiders to acquire Lynch.

More attention has been paid to Marshawn Lynch’s Twitter feed than to a lot of NFL free agents who are simply trying to find a job this offseason. A big reason that he keeps popping up in Oakland Raiders rumors is that the team doesn’t have a significant running back as training camp approaches. Latavius Murray left in free agency to sign with the Minnesota Vikings, though the team didn’t make a big effort to re-sign him. In his absence, Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles, and Eddie Lacy have all been linked to the Raiders through various NFL rumors.

For the Seattle Seahawks, it might actually be great news if Lynch unretires in an effort to join the Raiders. This would give the Seahawks’ GM an asset to work with, possibly leading to a trade with the Raiders for a draft pick or two. It’s all conjecture at this point, but if the Seahawks didn’t plan to play an unretired Lynch, dealing him to a team in the AFC might be a great way to bring back several draft selections. It could be a win-win scenario, but there is also no indication that the front offices of either franchise would be interested in making a deal like this one.

Seattle Seahawks fans have long grown tired of hearing NFL rumors that mention Lynch. Those rumors have persisted for the past 15 months, ranging from Lynch unretiring to help the Seahawks during the 2016 NFL season, to the Pro Bowl running back wanting to go to a new team. In all that time and through all the rumors, no piece of Marshawn Lynch news has actually quoted him as having any interest in playing for another team, let alone unretiring to join the Oakland Raiders. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen, but just that it still remains unlikely.

[Featured Image by Steve Dykes/Getty Images]