Marshawn Lynch Not Getting One Last NFL Chance is a Damn Shame

Less than a year ago, former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch did the unthinkable by coming out of retirement to sign on with the Seattle Seahawks, due in part to the season-ending injuries to Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny. He appeared in just one regular season game, but "Beast Mode" did have some gas left in the tank.

Once the new league year started, there was some momentum behind the Seahawks potentially working on a new deal to bring Lynch back to Seattle for 2020. That all turned out to be a pipe dream, however, as the team instead signed Carlos Hyde. The move effectively ended any shot that Lynch had of returning to the league.

And that's a shame.

We'll admit that Lynch's days of being a bell-cow out of the backfield were over but he showcased as recently as 2017 with the Raiders (891 yards, seven touchdowns) that the trademark strength that made him a force in the NFL for the past decade is still there. Head coach Pete Carroll knew Lynch wouldn't carry the load in Seattle again, but once you get inside the opposition's 10-yard line, unleashing "Beast Mode" is far from a poor idea.

In his three games with the Seahawks, including two in the playoffs, Lynch rushed for 67 yards and four touchdown on 30 carries. Three of those scores came in postseason games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. Lynch always had the penchant of showing up in the clutch, and that hasn't faded.

Now that Seattle is likely off the market for additional running back help, Lynch will probably head back into retirement. You mean to tell us that not one NFL team can make Lynch an offer to be their goal-line guy? That's just blasphemous.

"Beast Mode" deserves so much better than this. So do NFL fans.