Sources have confirmed to ESPN and Pro Football Talk that Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is expected to skip a mandatory mini-camp next week because he wants a contract extension. Lynch is entering the third of a four-year deal worth $30 million, including $6 million in signing bonuses. His base salary for 2014 is $5 million and counts $7 million against the salary cap.
If the 28-year-old Lynch, scheduled to earn $5.5 million in 2015, boycotts the three-day mini-camp, it would cost him $70,000 in fines.
According to ESPN’s sources, Lynch wants the Seahawks to renegotiate his current contract and provide him with more up-front money.
Since the Super Bowl, two Seahawks, cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Earl Thomas, agreed to lucrative new deals, Sherman a four-year package worth $56 million, Thomas a four-year, $40 million extension. Both players became the highest-paid at their positions and both were scheduled for significant raises. Lynch is not.
Acquired by the Seahawks in 2010 in a trade from Buffalo, Lynch has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the past three seasons, including 1,257 and 14 touchdowns last season.
Lynch has the most touchdowns in the NFL since the start of the 2011 season with 39, and also the most 100-yard rushing games since 2011 with 19.
Lynch skipped voluntary offseason training activities that end Thursday and also skipped the Seahawks’ visit to the White House last month.
20 Comments
The Seahawks need to send a message that this is unacceptable. If he doesn’t report, terminate his contract and roll with Turpin and Michael. Lynch is approaching the age where he might break down at any time anyway. Perhaps we could apply the $5 million in salary cap savings to an early contract extension with Wilson?
We can’t resign Wilson early due to the collective bargaining agreement. But I agree. I love Beast mode but no man is bigger than the team.
No one knows that better than Pete.
It’s the business of NFL. It’s foolish to expect players to play without regard for their long-term well-being, when they know that team won’t care about their long-term either. Lynch knows his deal makes him an easy cut in 2015, just like Clemons, Bryant and Rice were quickly cut this year.
This is nothing new. Remember Walter Jones’s holdouts?
Actually, I expect players to honor the contracts they signed. Nothing foolish about that.
You’re welcome to your expectations. And Lynch is welcome to try to get more.
Totally agree. It’s self preservation at this point for Lynch. He knows he’s coming up to the age that RB’s start to decline. He could easily be out of the league in three years. Just hope he’s aware the chances of the Hawks tearing up his current contract and giving him a new one is zero.
Walter’s numerous hold outs have always made me question if he really should have been put in the Ring of Honor so quickly.
Why? When it came time to play, Jones was always ready on game day. His holdouts were just training camp and pre-season, and in spite of missing that time he never missed a beat when it counted.
The CBA makes the Jones holdouts unlikely. They will lose game checks per game missed, no exceptions. Missing the mini-camp is a $70K fine. Not a big deal. It will resolve.
Walter Jones was careful to always come back in time for the season. His holdouts were reserved for training camp and pre-season. Those regular season games would cost him too much with the franchise tag making his one year salary an average of the top guy.
Lynch doesn’t have much leverage. The Seahawks could move some money forward as a courtesy, but they just spent $2M on Kevin Williams. I don’t blame him for trying.
Doesn’t surprise me. He sees there’s two young studs behind him on the depth chart ready to take his job and he isn’t getting any younger. He also knows the club has to deal with re-signing Russell Wilson. He wants some security. Be interesting to see how the club handles this. Beastmode is an integral part of the team, but the emphasis is on TEAM.
The club knows how to handle Lynch, and if he pushes their tolerance too far, they have backup plans.
Security? He had 18 mil guaranteed on his last contract that has already been paid out to him. Word is he’s saved his pennies and could retire right now if he wanted to. I don’t think he’s worried about security.
Success brings new challenges. PC and management wouldn’t have it any other way.
Not an impossible task to please Lynch.
in other exciting news, jesus (montero) appears to be arising. go Ms!
i like Marshawn but I don’t see him as a priority, I would save the money for other needs…either way looking forward to seeing Michael get more carries.
Nothing shocking about Lynch wanting more money and an extension. It’s a tough call for the Hawks because while Lynch has indeed been an integral part of the offense who has banged out a lot of yards on his own, he IS 28 and his body has been taking a pounding year after year. His shelf life is limited. They’re going to need a lot of money to keep Wilson in Seattle, which means letting people go…if that includes Marshawn, it doesn’t make sense to sign him to an extension for more money. Who is more important in the long-term view?
Bevell’s comment about giving Turbin and Michael more touches this year tells me they’re already preparing to turn the page. Let’s hope this doesn’t become a distraction, but I’m not optimistic that it won’t.
Marshawn should recognize that a deal is a deal. Russell Wilson is WAY more underpaid than Lynch and we don’t hear him grousing about his contract.