Las Vegas Raiders News & Rumors

The NFL has suspended Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch one game for making contact with an official in Thursday night’s game, the league announced. Lynch will appeal the ban, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

League spokesman Joe Lockhart said earlier today that the NFL was exploring all its options with regard to Lynch’s punishment, and they’ve now decided on a single-game ban. Lynch has three days to appeal the suspension, but if no further action is taken, he’ll miss Oakland’s Week 8 contest against the Bills. The Raiders will be granted a roster exemption, meaning they’ll be allowed to add another player to their roster in place of Lynch.

Without Lynch available, Oakland will turn to Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington to man its backfield. Richard and Washington each handled nine carries and played roughly 30% of the Raiders’ offensive snaps after Lynch was ejected last night. While Oakland doesn’t currently have a fourth running back on its 53-man roster, it could promote seventh-round rookie Elijah Hood from the practice squad to cover for Lynch’s one-game absence.

Lynch’s impending fine wouldn’t be his only financial consequence now that he’s been suspended. Lynch will lose $79,412 in weekly base salary, plus an extra $31,250 in gameday active roster bonus money, as a result of his one-game ban.

The NFL is currently exploring its options to punish Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch for making contact with an official on Thursday night, according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Lynch, of course, was ejected from last night’s contest following the incident.

“There’s a schedule for fines for offenses,” said league spokesman Joe Lockhart. “There’s physical contact with an official — which is in excess of $30K — unsportsmanlike conduct, unnecessarily entering the fight area. Each (has) a schedule of what the fine would be. In some cases, a suspension is in order. All of this is being reviewed now at the league offices.”

There’s no question Lynch will subject to hefty fines, but whether or not he earns a ban is still up in the air. If Lynch is forced to miss Oakland’s Week 8 contest against the Bills, the Raiders would turn to the same two-headed backfield they deployed last night when facing the Chiefs. DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard split time to perfection on Thursday, as each played roughly 30% of Oakland’s snaps and handled nine carries.

As Gehlken notes, Lynch’s impending fine wouldn’t be his only financial consequence if he is indeed suspended. Lynch would lose $79,412 in weekly base salary, plus an extra $31,250 in gameday active roster bonus money, if he’s handed a one-game ban.