Marshawn Lynch is going to get an opportunity to prove that he still has enough left in the tank to be an important piece of Jon Gruden’s offense, but the veteran running back may have to take slightly less money to do it.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that Lynch has agreed to a restructured contract with the Raiders that could amount to a slight pay cut but converts more of the 31-year-old’s deal to guaranteed money.
#Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch restructured his contract Saturday before his $1M roster bonus was due. Base value in 2018 is now $5.5M — $500K less than before — but he’s practically guaranteed $4.5M of that (instead of $0) … and can earn up to $9.25M total with incentives.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 21, 2018
In other words, the new deal will probably end up being better for Lynch if he has a good season. He’s still being paid very well, which indicates Gruden expects him to be a significant part of the offense in 2018.
Lynch, who will turn 32 in April, rushed for 891 yards on 207 carries last season. He got off to a slow start but turned it on down the stretch and ended up averaging 4.3 yards per carry and scoring seven touchdowns. There was some question about whether the Raiders would release him after they brought in another big name veteran rusher, but the praise Gruden has showered on Lynch was clearly more than just common courtesy.
