Carroll on his relationship with Lynch: “We’re working through it”
Nov 17, 2014, 10:58 AM | Updated: 11:05 am
BY
Former Seattle Sports Lead Editor
On Sunday, an NFL.com story characterized the relationship between Pete Carroll and Marshawn Lynch as “deteriorating”, the latest in a series of reports about friction between the Seahawks’ front office and the team’s star running back.
Carroll was asked about it Monday morning when he joined “Brock and Salk” on 710 ESPN Seattle. Is his relationship with Lynch any different than it’s been in years past? Here’s Carroll’s response it is entirety:
“We’re working through it. Marshawn is a very private person and we’ve all learned that and we’ve respected that about him for years. I respected the heck out of that when we got to the Super Bowl last year and everybody was clamoring and all that.
“He is a very unique, special person. I think there continues to be questioning about this – he’s doing great. He’s busting his tail. I’ve told you and reported about how it’s been so obvious that he came back so determined to be good and to be on it. He’s done a tremendous job. He’s played great football. I don’t think he’s ever played better.
“So all that under consideration, I think (it) still goes back to summertime, talking about the contract and stuff like that. There was some conversations that not everything always works out exactly the way you want it. So we will do everything we can to keep our guys with us. You know that we’ve done that. Marshawn was the first guy we turned to way back when because he deserved it, he had earned it and he had been the guy that had shown that special quality and that makeup that we cherished so much, the competitiveness and all of that.
“Years later in the contract, you look at it, well, it’s not quite the same deal. I think we had plenty of conversations about that in the summer time. He made his decisions to stay out and we respected that, too. We had no problem with that.
“So as we’re moving forward, he’s giving us everything he’s got and we’re working through it and that’s where that is right now. This football team is determined to do well. We still have a lot out there. This is a tremendous finish opportunity and Marshawn, hopefully if he can get back again this week, he’ll be right in the middle of it with us.”
Carroll’s conversation with “Brock and Salk” included more discussion about Lynch. He’s asked about Lynch’s health at the 7:34 mark and about the mileage on running backs his age at 10:13. The question about their relationship begins at 8:17.
