Early Monday morning, rumors started flying everywhere that the retired rusher, Marshawn Lynch, would consider signing with the New England Patriots if things didn’t work out with the Oakland Raiders. This upset and worried many fans of the team, as the last thing the Raider Nation want is to see Lynch go to their biggest competition in the AFC. Worry not, Raiders fans, because this is a silly premise.
Marshawn Lynch Won’t Be a New England Patriot
The First Clue
The first questionable thing about this rumor is the source itself. It wasn’t Marshawn Lynch that said it, nor his agent, or even a family member. It was Jeff Howe, who writes for the Boston Herald, that broke the news.
Marshawn Lynch update: He has privately expressed interest in playing for Patriots if talks break off with Raiders. Keep an eye on that.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) April 10, 2017
Isn’t is a bit peculiar that this news was broken by a reporter that works on the other side of the country? Wouldn’t someone from Oakland, Las Vegas, or at least the pacific time zone have this news before someone across the country? That’s a little strange.
The Second Clue
Reportedly, Marshawn Lynch wants to come out of retirement because he’s excited for the charity work he can do in Oakland as a member of the Raiders. He grew up a Raiders fan, and has even started selling gear that looks awfully Raider-esque. How exactly is he going to help the city of Oakland all the way in New England? Did he grow up a fan of the New England Patriots? No, he didn’t.
Hypothetically
Hypothetically, Marshawn Lynch could have told someone that he’d consider signing with the New England Patriots if things fell apart with the Oakland Raiders, with the intent of gaining some leverage. At the moment, it seems like an inevitability that Lynch will come out of retirement just to play for the Raiders.
So what incentive do the Raiders have to offer Lynch a ton of money? Lynch is still a businessman, and he has to get a decent contract offer from the team. If the Raiders are the only team interested, they don’t have to offer him a big contract.
However, if the Raiders think Lynch is considering the Patriots, they’d have to up their offer. The idea could be to make the Raiders bid against the idea of the New England Patriots. This is a little ridiculous, however, as Lynch needs the Raiders more than they need him, and Reggie McKenzie has proved that he won’t spend more than he wants to for anybody.
