Marshawn Lynch is closer to becoming a Raider, but he's not there yet. The powerful running back and Oakland native has been speaking with the Raiders about a new contract but player and team have not yet agreed on terms of a new deal.
While a pact hasn't been reached, an expectation remains that he will come out of retirement to play for his hometown team.
The NFL Network reported Friday afternoon that Lynch and the Raiders had agreed to terms, but Lynch pulled the reins on that. Lynch, who rarely speaks publicly, tweeted, "If u kno me you kno my business is my business and if u don't kno me that's a fun fact for ya... when s--t get REAL I'll let you kno!!!!
Reports from NFLN's Ian Rapoport and theMMQB.com's Albert Breer also stated that contract talks between Lynch and the Raiders aren't complete.
Getting Lynch out of retirement and into Silver and Black is a complex process.
A new deal is required, and would be contingent on the Raiders acquiring his rights from Seattle in trade. He also needs to be reinstated after a year away from the game.
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The Seahawks retained Lynch's rights after he retired following an injury-riddled 2015 season, and recently gave the Raiders permission to work out a new deal. Lynch has two years left on a big-money extension that would kick back in if he comes out of retirement, one neither the Seahawks nor Raiders are willing to pay now.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider and Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie are friends dating back to their time working in Green Bay, and Schneider told ESPN Radio 710 in Seattle last week that trade talks would go smooth if they began.
The Raiders need a big-bodied bruiser to accent smaller backs Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington, and the soon-to-be 31-year old would certainly fill that void.
Lynch rushed for 9,112 yards and 74 touchdowns in nine seasons, with 1,979 more yards and nine touchdowns as a receiver. He's known for a powerful, yet elusive rushing style that will fits well with what the Raiders do.
Lynch exceeded 1,200 yards in four straight seasons from 2011-14, and was borderline unstoppable at the end of that run. He had 1,306 yards and an NFL-best 13 touchdowns in 2014, averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
His production dipped in 2015, a season limited by an abdominal injury that required surgery. He averaged just 3.8 yards per carry on 111 rushes in seven games.
Lynch announced his retirement in a tweet shortly after Super Bowl 50, posting a picture on Twitter of shoes hanging on a telephone wire.
He travelled the world, guest-starred on television shows, expanded his Beast Mode clothing line and remained active in the Oakland community during his time away from the game. Grumblings about a possible return started a few weeks back, when he began exploring the prospect of a return.
He only wants to return to play for the Raiders. The Seahawks haven't stood in Lynch's way. They granted Lynch permission to meet Raiders brass in Alameda on April 5 and allowed his agents to work out a new deal.
Lynch posted a cryptic tweet Thursday evening saying, ‘I'm thankful!!!! Yes Lawd!!!!" It led many, including former teammates to assume Lynch's return was imminent. We're not there yet, and there isn't pressure to get everything ironed out even with the Raiders offseason program beginning Monday.
