Getty Marshawn Lynch recently visited the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seattle Seahawks received a visit from legendary running back Marshawn Lynch, but the team squashed rumors that it had anything to do with a potential comeback. Lynch stopped by the VMAC to visit with his old teammates, but the Seahawks still had to report it, per The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta.
“Marshawn Lynch was in town and made a visit to the VMAC Wednesday. The team had to report that as a visit to the NFL since he is an unrestricted free agent and has not officially retired. But the team is not considering signing Lynch,” Condotta tweeted.
The timing of Lynch’s visit sparked rumors given the Seahawks just lost Rashaad Penny for the rest of the season with an ACL injury. Lynch last played in the NFL for the Raiders in 2018 but is no longer playing football.
Lynch Recently Confirmed His Desire to Stay Retired
Lynch only played in six games last season for the Raiders rushing for 376 yards and three touchdowns. Lynch discussed his retirement status during a September Toronto Sun interview.
“You know? This time, and I said this before, man,” Lynch told the Toronto Sun. “But you know…I’m just going to say s—. S— happens. But as of right now? Yeah, I’m done…I stay ready, but I’m done though.”
During the interview, Lynch also elaborated on his relationship with Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. Lynch was complimentary of the Seahawks coach, but it does not sound like they will be attending holiday parties together any time soon.
“He wasn’t the best coach I ever had,” Lynch admitted to Toronto Sun. “He definitely was smart as s—. He definitely was entertaining. And he definitely was different…A million and one things going on. He definitely was one of the most different coaches that I had…He was all right. I mean, we ain’t best friends or anything, but he cool.”
Lynch Opened a Soul Food Restaurant in the Oakland Area
Lynch launched a soul food restaurant in 2018 called Rob Ben’s Restaurant and Lounge in Emeryville just outside Oakland. Lynch named the restaurant after his friend Robert Benjamin who was shot and killed in 2007, per Eater San Francisco. The menu features a mix of seafood, burgers and wings.
“With the gentrification s— going on, what Oakland represented is disappearing,” Lynch said, per Eater. “But to have a soul food restaurant in a place that has so much soul, you don’t have many of them like this.”
Former Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin discussed why Lynch was so popular among his teammates.
“He was beloved in this locker room because of that,” Baldwin told KJR Seattle. “He would speak how he felt. If he was wrong, he would come back and apologize to the people he wronged, for the most part. You respected him for the man he was, not trying to act like something he wasn’t. He didn’t pretend with you guys in the media and come back to the locker room and act different. He was consistent in who he was throughout.”