Nobody really knows what’s going on with Marshawn Lynch right now. Seattle’s star running back hasn’t played since November because of an abdominal injury, but according to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, the plan was for him to play in Sunday’s wild card game against Minnesota. Carroll even said that “he’s looked really good in practice,” so when the news came out that Lynch isn’t going to play on Sunday, it came as a shock to a lot of people.
The #Seahawks officially ruled Marshawn Lynch OUT for the game. He told the team he felt like he couldn't do it. Stunner.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 9, 2016
Why on earth would one of the best running backs in the league not play in a playoff game when he’s, apparently, healthy and looking good in practice? Well, according to Michael Irvin, it’s because of “friction” between the five-time Pro Bowl back and the team.
Michael Irvin says reason Lynch not playing is due to friction between Lynch and the team.
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) January 9, 2016
Lynch and the Seahawks have had plenty of tension in the past – there was a ton of talk last offseason that Lynch was considering retirement, to the point that Seattle general manager John Schneider said he wouldn’t be surprised if Lynch decided to hang it up out of the blue one day. Lynch has also taken a shot or two at the team’s front office in the past, saying that they “talk a lot” to the media.
The two sides did agree to a three-year deal last March, so if their relationship got so acrimonious that Lynch just walked away, he’d leave a lot of money on the table. Still, it seems like something’s going on with Lynch and Seattle, and if the situation isn’t resolved, it’ll be interesting to see how both sides approach their next steps.
