The Seattle Seahawks running back will hold out from training camp in hopes of earning a bigger contract.
Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch plans to hold out from training camp, according to Michael Robinson, via the NFL Media PR Twitter account. Lynch did not attend voluntary workouts this offseason, though he was at the team's mandatory minicamp. At the time, reports suggested Lynch was looking for a raise.
Lynch has been a critical element to Seattle's success, playing a huge role in the team's Super Bowl run this past season. He's the centerpiece of an offense that relies on beating down the opponent just as much as the team's defense. He carried the ball 301 times for 1,257 yards and 12 touchdowns this past season, with another 288 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs.
The 28-year-old running back has two years left on his current deal, with base salaries of $5 million in 2014 and $5.5 million in 2015. That places him sixth among running backs when it comes to base salary, behind Arian Foster, Matt Forte, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles and Adrian Peterson, according to Spotrac.
It's unclear what kind of money Lynch is looking for at this point. He's been in the league eight years and is awfully close to 30 years old, a dreaded number for running backs in the NFL. He's also had at least 285 carries in each of the past three seasons, so him slowing down sooner rather than later wouldn't be surprising. That could be one reason why he wants a bigger deal now.
Seattle's training camp begins on Friday.