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Jamaal Charles isn’t the only star NFL running back who had holding out on the brain. Turns out, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch got the fever, as well.
According to NFL.com, Lynch’s previous whispers about desiring a new contract were no joke and the star back will not be in camp until he gets a new deal.
Lynch might be waiting for a while. Just into his second season of a brand new $30 million deal that he signed in 2012, Lynch is looking to break the bank like some other stud rushers have.
It’s probably no coincidence that the news breaks just one day after Kansas City Chiefs star rusher Jamaal Charles got paid. Charles briefly threatened a hold out, but was quickly granted his request for a pay raise just one day after rumors spread of his potential stand.
Lynch’s situation is markedly different, though. Charles is a much younger and more explosive running back, which helped make him a bigger part of his teams’ offense. For instance, Charles caught 70 passes a year ago, while Lynch has never caught more than 47 in his entire career.
Charles was also vastly underpaid when you consider his age, talent and productivity. He was set to make under $4 million this year, while the league leader and the same position, Adrian Peterson, will make roughly $14 million. In fact, several other top running backs make around $7-9 million.
Lynch is already making over $5 million a year and is now simply regretting not trying and succeeding to get more money the first time around. This time, the 28-year old back may not have much leverage to work with.
For one, he’s closing in on 30 years of age, which usually signifies the close to elite production for an NFL running back. He’s also taken on over 1,000 carries over the last three seasons. While he’s been an elite back in each of those seasons and was a big part of Seattle’s Super Bowl win a year ago, the team is going to do what is best for the franchise.
What’s best might be to let Lynch sit and stew, and just move forward with the solid talent they have behind him in Christine Michael and Robert Turbin. There were already plans to integrate both backs more in the offense, especially Michael given his exceptional talent. Lynch holding out could expedite that, while trade rumors might even pop around as a possibility.
It’s also possible the Seahawks cave and pay a guy they could ride into the ground for another two years. Considering Lynch is already arguably fairly compensated for the next two years, it’s not likely the Seahawks are the ones to crack here. After all, Lynch will face a continuous $30,000 fine for each day of training camp he doesn’t show up.
