If Marshawn Lynch is going to reciprocate the Raiders' interest and come out of retirement to play for his hometown team, the first step is to convince the Seahawks to relinquish their rights to his services.
Although Lynch is staying in shape and mulling over the idea of playing again, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, he remains in a holding pattern.
Appearing on Friday's edition of Up to the Minute Live, Garafolo reported that Lynch visited Seahawks headquarters Thursday but did not request his release.
Lynch did "touch on the possibility" of coming back, Garafolo added, but it has yet to advance beyond last year's dalliance when he started to entertain a similar possibility of playing for Oakland.
If Lynch and the Raiders do get serious, how would they go about gaining his rights?
Whereas future Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware, for example, was a free agent when he decided to hang up his cleats earlier this week, Lynch retired one season into a two-year, $24 million contract extension signed in March of 2015. If he wants to scratch the itch to play again, he would remain under contract with Seattle.
The Seahawks would be willing to trade the 30-year-old power back for the right price, Garafolo confirmed, but they had no intention of releasing him without compensation when the subject was broached last year.
As NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport noted Friday morning, there is no indication that the Raiders have reached out to the Seahawks about the possibility of acquiring Lynch's rights.
"My understanding is the Raidersdo not want to give up a draft pick really for anything," Rapoport explained later Friday on NFL Total Access, "but certainly not for a 30-year-old running back."
General manager Reggie McKenzie is also saving his cap space, Rapoport continued, for the mega contracts soon to come for franchise quarterback Derek Carr and NFL Defensive Player of the YearKhalil Mack.
Until Lynch's hypothetical comeback clears a couple of legitimate hurdles, it might be a tad premature for colorful punter Marquette King to conjure up visions of "Beast Mode" carrying his pads after practice.
