Could we see running back Marshawn Lynch come out of retirement a third time?
In an interview with Conan O'Brien on Tuesday night, Lynch did not rule out the possibility of another return to the National Football League. However, he will not make is return to the game for just any team.
"If the situation is right, it could happen. I've been asked the question by a couple teams here recently, like, 'Are you ready?' I'm ready if [you're all] Super Bowl ready. That's what it will take me to come out [of retirement], to come and play again. It would have to be a guaranteed Super Bowl game for me."
The 34-year-old running back last played in 2019 when he came out of retirement for a second time to re-join the Seattle Seahawks. He appeared in the team's regular season finale, while also playing in both playoff games before the Seahawks were knocked out in the NFC Divisional Round by the Green Bay Packers.
Lynch has one Super Bowl rings to account for when he won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks in the 2013 season. He also helped Seattle return to the Super Bowl the following year, but the team ended up losing Super Bowl LIV to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
It was back in 2007 when the Buffalo Bills made Lynch their first round pick (12th overall) in the NFL Draft. In parts of four seasons in Buffalo, Lynch put up very respectable numbers in 45 games with 2,765 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. He also hauled in 94 receptions for 670 yards and a receiving touchdown in that span before he was traded to the Seahawks on Oct. 5, 2010 for a fourth round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and a conditional pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
In 149 career NFL games with the Bills, Seahawks and Oakland Raiders, Lynch ended up rushing for 10,413 yards on 2,453 carries, while finding the end zone 85 times on the ground. In the air, he was also a weapon with 287 catches for 2,214 yards and nine touchdowns.
His 10,413 rushing yards currently ranks him 29th on the all-time NFL list. If he were to come out of retirement again, he would rank fourth among current players behind just Frank Gore, Adrian Peterson and LeSean McCoy.
Lynch was named a First-Team NFL All-Pro in 2012, while being named to five Pro Bowls in his career. He was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2010s All-Decade Team.
While no Super Bowl is ever "guaranteed", there are certainly plenty of contending teams this year that would benefit from adding the veteran running back.
Starting atop the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-1) are a team that has had to rely a lot on Ben Roethlisberger and the passing game, especially as of late with James Conner being unavailable due to COVID-19. However, Pittsburgh currently ranks 29th in the NFL on the ground, averaging a measly 92.6 yards per-game.
Adding a player of Lynch's caliber to the Steelers' backfield would instantly give Pittsburgh some added strength and power, and he'd likely become the No. 2 option right behind Conner.
If Lynch is willing to share the backfield with a number of different running backs, he could join the defending Super Bowl champions in Kansas City. The Chiefs (11-1) currently rank atop the NFL in total offense, while sitting in the middle of the pack in the run game with an average of 113.2 yards per-game between players like Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Le'Veon Bell, Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson.
With Lynch added to the picture in Kansas City, it would just add another weapon for quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid in their attempt at repeating as Super Bowl champions.
As for the Bills, they've become a talked about Super Bowl contender as the season has progressed. Currently at 9-3 on the season, Buffalo has not been able to run the ball as efficiently as the team would like. It hasn't hurt their offense, though, as quarterback Josh Allen has been able to help carry the team through the air.
Between second-year running back Devin Singletary, rookie Zack Moss and the running capabilities of Allen under center, the Bills rank 23rd in average rushing yards per-game at 102.4 yards.
If there is a possible reunion between Lynch and the Bills, he would add some veteran leadership to the young group, while also adding a little more grit.
Meanwhile in the NFC, finding a legitimate Super Bowl contender may be a bit more tough, especially when looking at the disastrous NFC East.
The New Orleans Saints (10-2) may be a interesting destination for Lynch if he wants to join a group that consists primarily of Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray. So far this season, the Saints are averaging 140.8 yards per-game on the ground, which puts them seventh overall in the NFL.
Would Lynch be willing to join a Saints team that has won nine straight games and is trying to give quarterback Drew Brees one more Super Bowl victory before he possibly retires in the offseason? He'd certainly be a helpful option.
How about joining a team that last knocked you out of the playoffs? If you can't beat them, join them, right?
The Packers (9-3) currently have one of the best total offenses in the NFL, sitting only behind the Chiefs with an average of 396.6 yards per-game. As for the run game with Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams being the feature backs, it currently ranks tied for eighth in the league (124.2 yards per-game) with the Los Angeles Rams.
Adding a player like Lynch to the Packers backfield would certainly make quarterback Aaron Rodgers happy, and give that group another aggressive option.
After that, would a return to the Seahawks (8-4) be an option? Sure, but the defense has been dreadful all season long, and the offense has really started to slip in the last handful of games.
The Rams (8-4) are an interesting option with one of the best defensive units in football, but their running backs room seems good for the time being with the likes of Darrell Henderson Jr., Malcolm Brown and rookie Cam Akers.
How about joining Brady and the Buccaneers (7-5) in Tampa Bay? While Brady may be the greatest quarterback of all-time and the defense is one of the better units in the NFL, the run game in Tampa Bay has been lackluster this season, averaging just 96.3 yards per-game between Ronald Jones II, Leonard Fournette and McCoy.
While a return to the NFL for Lynch is still not certain at this time, having "Beast Mode" back in the game, again, would certainly be a sight to see.
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