Oakland Raiders: Marshawn Lynch could play in 2019 season
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch’s contract expires in the offseason, but don’t close the book on his career yet.
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch appeared on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher and opened up — slightly — about the outlook of his NFL career.
Lynch’s contract expires at the turn of the new league calendar in March, but we could see Beast Mode on the gridiron in 2019. “If it works out that way then I will,” he said in response to Maher’s question about playing next year.
Beast Mode isn’t forthcoming with too much information in a media setting, but he’s open to dishing out more punishment through his bruising runs for another season. Lynch’s decision likely hinges upon where the Raiders play in 2019. At the moment, owner Mark Davis is still mulling over options.
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The Silver and Black could end up staying at the Coliseum for the upcoming season before moving to Las Vegas. In addition, sharing Levi Stadium with the San Francisco 49ers or AT&T Park with the San Francisco Giants are potential choices, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. There’s also an outside chance the Raiders go to London, but the logistics would be quite cumbersome in terms of travel for the competing teams.
Going back to the 2017 offseason, Lynch decided to come out of retirement to play for the Raiders once he found out the team planned to leave Oakland, which prompted a trade with the Seattle Seahawks who held his playing rights.
If Davis and company move the club elsewhere, Beast Mode may not have the desire to suit up for his hometown squad—though there are probably other aspects that factor into his decision.
Since returning to the league, Lynch has logged 297 rush attempts for 1,267 yards and 10 touchdowns. In 2018, he sustained a groin injury, which kept him out of action for 10 games. At running back, the Raiders will have DeAndre Washington and Chris Warren III under contract for the 2019 term.
If Lynch walks away from the game again, the Raiders could look to the draft a prospect at the position or make a splash during free agency. Among the notable names, Le’Veon Bell, Tevin Coleman, Jay Ajayi and Mark Ingram will be looking for new deals.
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Warren led the league with 292 rushing yards during the preseason, but head coach Jon Gruden usually employs two or three running backs in his backfield committees. Expect the same in the upcoming season with or without Lynch on the roster.