Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch announced his retirement through Twitter on Super Bowl Sunday, which was later confirmed by his agent. While many debate whether Lynch is Hall of Fame worthy, others are not sold on his retirement as teammates believe he will have a change of heart before the season, according to Bleacher Report's Jason Cole.
The Seahawks running back struggled to stay healthy this season and only managed to play in seven regular season games. Lynch had surgery to repair a sports hernia in November, and didn't return until Seattle's second playoff game against the Carolina Panthers. The nine-year veteran running back helped lead Seattle to its only Super Bowl win during the 2013 regular season, and has rushed over 1,000 yards in four of his five full seasons in Seattle.
While his teammates reportedly believe he will change his mind, the Seahawks front office reportedly may be looking to move on even if he does decide to come back, according to Cole. Rookie running back Thomas Rawls is expected to carry the load next season, as he had a breakout year in 2015.
The Seahawks undrafted running back carried the ball 147 times for 830 yards and scored four touchdowns before breaking his ankle in Week 14. Rawls showed his ability to be an explosive playmaker with four games over 100 yards rushing, and found holes behind the Seahawks offensive line that both Lynch and other backs struggled to break through.
