Why did Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch stay on the field at halftime on Sunday instead of going to the locker room with his teammates?
Lynch, who appeared to aggravate his back injury in the second quarter of Seattle’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, told NFL Network’s Michael Robinson that he chose not to go into the locker room because he “couldn’t walk.” Some people aren’t buying it.
[Related: Marshawn Lynch avoids most members of media after loss]
Lynch somehow went from not being able to walk to carrying the ball 11 times in the second half. He finished the game with 124 yards on 24 carries. When asked about the incident after the game, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll made no mention of an injury.
“He thought it would be better for him to stay out,” Carroll said, according to John Breech of CBSSports.com.
Prior to the game, NFL.com reported that the Seahawks are planning to move on from Lynch following the 2014 season. While it’s unclear if remaining on the field during halftime on a 20-degree day was a way for Lynch to show his displeasure, he certainly didn’t sound happy about the report.
‘Do I think I’ll be gone after this season?” he told reporters. “I don’t know, man. The Seahawks, their front office gets in the media; they talk a lot. I don’t talk too much. I just play the game. If they have something going on, I don’t know about it.”
You could make an argument that Lynch is the most important piece of Seattle’s offense. They have tried to groom his replacement with players like Robert Turbin and Christine Michael, but neither has been impressive.
[Related: Marshawn Lynch flips off Chiefs fan]
The relationship between Lynch and Carroll is said to be icy. If the Seahawks want to give themselves an opportunity to repeat as champions, they’ll need Beast Mode to be at his best. The situation is worth monitoring.
