Marshawn Lynch shoots down speculation of a return: ‘I’m not playing football anymore’
Jun 6, 2016, 11:07 AM | Updated: 11:24 am
Former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has made it clear: He is and intends to remain retired.
Lynch shot down any notion that he could return to football during an interview with “60 Minutes Sports,” a clip of which was published to YouTube on Monday. It begins with Lynch being asked about the possibility of playing next season for his hometown team, the Oakland Raiders, who are in need of a veteran running back.
“No, I’m done,” Lynch said with a laugh. “I’m done. I enjoyed my time playing. Now it’s time to watch my cousins do they thing.”
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Lynch was asked if he would be content never playing another down in the NFL.
“Oh yeah,” he responded. “Mhmm. I enjoyed my time.”
Lynch’s interview with “60 Minutes Sports” marked his first public comments since he announced his plans to retire during the Super Bowl, posting to Twitter a picture of a pair of neon green cleats hung up along with and emoji of two extended fingers, as if to say, “peace out.”
It wasn’t until May 5 – three months later – that the Seahawks placed Lynch on the reserve/retired list. The long delay in Lynch filing his retirement paperwork led to speculation that he could be reconsidering his future, as did Lynch’s history of unpredictable behavior, some comments from former teammates and the notion that he may want to end his career with a better season than the one he had in 2015, when injuries limited him to seven games. That snapped a streak of four straight seasons with at least 1,200 yards rushing and 11 rushing touchdowns.
Oakland was considered a possibility for Lynch should be decide to continue playing, though the Seahawks have control of his rights.
“I think if you could write the perfect story as far as the last year of his career, if he played again to come back to Oakland, it makes sense, right?” Lynch’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, said in the clip. “But the reality is, look, he told me he’s done. Selfishly, yeah, I’d love for him to play another year or two, make sure he’s cemented in the hall of fame.”
Asked about the likelihood of Lynch making up his mind then being swayed into a different decision, Hendrickson said: “With Marshawn, I’ll never say never.”
But Lynch was unequivocal in saying he will not play again.
“I’m retired,” he said emphatically. “Is that good enough? Which camera do you want me to look into? I’m done. I’m not playing football anymore.”
The full piece on Lynch airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. on Showtime.