Super Bowl Sunday begins with some interesting news for the Seahawks as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports that the team is negotiating with running back Marshawn Lynch on a contract extension that would keep him in Seattle “for years to come.”
A Seattle team official confirmed that the Seahawks would like to extend Lynch’s contract but noted that nothing could happen until the new league year starts in March.
Another source also said that the reports that the talks have been ongoing is overblown and that nothing is imminent.
Still, as Rapoport reports, this is a pretty big turnaround from where things were thought to be on the Lynch-Seahawks front for much of this season, when it was widely assumed he might be on his way out after this season due to his age and cap number next season.
But Lynch has had maybe his best year with the Seahawks and NFL.com says the team wants to reward him for his work.
Rapoport reports that Seattle has offered Lynch more than $10 million in the 2015 season alone. As the report notes, Lynch currently is slated to make $5 million in 2015, the final year of what originally was a four-year, $31 million deal. That contract also has a $2 million roster bonus.
The NFL.com report also notes that some close to the team have surmised that Lynch could retire, especially if Seattle wins another Super Bowl.
The timing of this news leaking is obviously interesting, with the team just hours away from the Super Bowl.
Regardless, it looks like Seattle is taking steps to get new deals done for each of its major offensive pieces — Lynch and QB Russell Wilson.