The Seattle Seahawks know Marshawn Lynch is the heartbeat of their offense, however they don't know if the running back has decided he's done beating for them.
In a radio interview Tuesday on KIRO-AM, general manager John Schneider said that the team is waiting for Lynch to decide on whether he will retire or return.
"Whether or not he wants to play next year, I can't answer that," Schneider said. "I don't know if he knows at this juncture."
Schneider added Lynch's decision "might not happen overnight," but if he returns the team plans to re-do the running back's contract.
"Obviously we think he's a hell of a player," Schneider said. "We want to have him back, he knows that, his representatives know that. He knows that if he's back he's not going to be playing at the same number he's scheduled to make."
Lynch is entering the final year of a four-year, $31 million deal and was slated to make $5 million in 2015. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported prior to the Super Bowl that the Seahawks have offered Lynch a "huge contract extension," believed to include more than $10 million in 2015.
However, before any deal gets done, Schneider is waiting to hear if Beast Mode wants to take on another grind.
"It's hard for these guys, it's a long season," Schneider said. "We've played a lot of football these last two years. Especially the way this guy runs the ball, it's taxing on his body."
Any team dreaming of prying Lynch away from Seattle can brush that fantasy aside. Beast Mode will be a Seahawk or he'll be retired in 2015.
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