Marshawn Lynch lands TV gig despite recent arrest

Dec 29, 2019; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) during the second half against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field. San Francisco defeated Seattle 26-21. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Marshawn Lynch generated some negative headlines with his latest arrest two months ago, but that was not enough to stop the former NFL star from landing a broadcasting gig.

Marie Donoghue, Amazon’s vice president of Global Sports Video, said on the “Marchand & Ourand Sports Media Podcast” recently that Lynch will soon join the streaming giant’s “Thursday Night Football” coverage. Lynch and Amazon already had a deal in the works, and Donoghue says the delayed start is not a result of Lynch’s august DUI arrest.

“I think Marshawn wanted to work through some things,” Donoghue said. “We were already working with him. We never walked away. We just worked through some things with him and we’re excited. We can’t wait for him to join.”

Lynch will be the centerpiece of a new feature called “N’ Yo City.” The three- or four-minute segment will debut prior to Thursday night’s game between the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears. In it, Lynch will be shown playing football with a group of kids from Highland Park, which is the suburb of Chicago where a gunman opened fire on a parade on July 4th.

The following week’s “N’ Yo City” segment will feature Lynch feeding alligators ahead of the New Orleans Saints-Arizona Cardinals game.

Lynch was arrested in Las Vegas on Aug. 9 for driving under the influence. A video that was released of the arrest showed the former Seattle Seahawks star looking extremely intoxicated and uncooperative. You can see the clip here.

That arrest was not Lynch’s only problematic incident on the road in Las Vegas this year.

Lynch, 36, last played in the NFL in 2019. The Seahawks had announced a new role for Lynch just prior to his DUI.