Seahawks Place Marshawn Lynch On Reserve/Retired List

Marshawn Lynch‘s retirement, announced earlier in the offseason, has become official today. The Seahawks announced in a press release that they’ve placed the standout running back on the reserve/retired list, formally removing him from their 90-man roster.Marshawn Lynch (vertical)

Seattle general manager John Schneider had indicated earlier this week that this move was coming at some point prior to June 1st, since the team prefers to take on Lynch’s entire cap hit this year, rather than spreading it out over 2017 as well. Assuming the Seahawks don’t attempt to recoup a portion of the signing bonus on the running back’s last contract – and they’re not expected to – the club will carry $5MM in dead money on its books for Lynch in 2016.

A five-time Pro Bowler, Lynch was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2012, and has a Super Bowl ring. For his career, the former first-round pick racked up a total of 9,112 rushing yards for the Seahawks and Bills, averaging 4.3 yards per carry and totaling 83 touchdowns. While his final season was cut short by injuries, he had earned four consecutive Pro Bowl nods prior to 2015.

With Lynch’s retirement official, the Seahawks are expected to turn to Thomas Rawls as their primary back in 2016, assuming he’s healthy. Rawls was impressive in Lynch’s place in 2015, averaging an NFL-best 5.6 yards per carry on 147 attempts, but he fractured his ankle in December and is still on the mend. The team also drafted a trio of running backs last week, nabbing C.J. Prosise in the third round, Alex Collins in the fifth, and Zac Brooks in the seventh.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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