In the offseason, retired Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was adamant: He’s done with football.
Eventually, he may not be.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Lynch is currently “up in the air” about returning to the NFL. The source said that Week Four or Week Five could be the hot spots for a possible unretirement.
The Seahawks still hold Lynch’s rights, since he was placed on the reserve-retired list. If he files the appropriate paperwork necessary to end his retirement, the Seahawks will have to decide whether to welcome him back onto the active roster, to trade him, or to cut him.
If he returns before the trade deadline, which comes on the Tuesday after Week Eight, Lynch would become a free agent, if released. After the trade deadline, he would pass through waivers, if the Seahawks cut him. (Obviously, at that point they couldn’t trade him.)
Lynch has a $9 million salary; the prorated amount of it would hit the team’s salary cap, if he’s reinstated to the active roster. The Seahawks have, by all appearances, moved on; however, the team’s won-loss record and overall effectiveness of its offense will surely be factors in whatever decision the team makes.
