Marshawn Lynch might have just as much of a say in his future as the Seahawks do.
While Seattle has ridden the exploits of its superstar running back, winning five of the last six games, the mercurial Lynch has privately considered walking away from it all following the 2014 season.
According to sources with direct knowledge of Lynch's thinking, the 28-year-old is weighing the possibility of retiring after this year, saying goodbye to football on his owns terms. He'd leave the football world confused and wanting more, though that's what he often does.
Several sources have previously said the Seahawks are expected to part ways with Lynch after this year, thanks to a combination of his $5 million salary in 2015, his age and their desire to rework the locker room around quarterback Russell Wilson. Yet Lynch might throw them a curveball, exiting when he feels like it.
This is not the first time Lynch has weighed retirement. Sources said last season that Lynch confided in two teammates that he might retire if the Seahawks won the Super Bowl. They did, but he returned to Seattle and after holding out at the start of training camp. Lynch received a bump in pay to $6.5 million in 2014.
One issue for Lynch is health-related. He's missed just one game in the last four years, but he has battled back pain throughout. Thanks to countless hits over the course of his career, the cartilage in his spinal cord is compressed, which brings him discomfort. That's just one factor as he ponders his future.
While debate about Lynch's future exists as the Seahawks march toward another potential playoff berth, don't be surprised if he has the ultimate say.
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