NFL PLAYER NEWS

Seahawks GM: No hint on Beast Mode’s future

Derek Harper

February 19, 2015 at 11:45 am.

Marshawn Lynch's future is up in the air. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

INDIANAPOLIS — The Seattle Seahawks continue to plot their offseason course with no concrete idea if Beast Mode will be lining up in the backfield in 2015.

General manager John Schneider said he continues to be in communication with Marshawn Lynch’s representatives, but does not know if the running back will return for another season.

“Not yet. I think everybody needs time away,” Schneider said at the Scouting Combine on Thursday. “Especially at that position, the way he runs the ball. He knows we want him to play.”

Schneider said he has been given no indication as to Lynch’s plans, but would not be surprised if he ultimately decided to retire.

“He’s a guy that kinda just, you know, beats to his own drum,” Schneider said. “He does what he wants. He would never let you know one way or the other. There have been a lot of great running backs that have just walked away, so you just don’t ever know.

“He’s the ultimate teammate. He’s awesome with everyone in the building. He’d really be missed.”

While there is no timetable for Lynch to make a decision, Schneider reiterated that he would prefer to know sooner than later so the team can plan its offseason moves accordingly.

Lynch is one of several significant personnel moves facing the Seahawks following consecutive trips to the Super Bowl. The team has begun discussions on a contract extension for quarterback Russell Wilson, must address the contract of middle linebacker Bobby Wagner and has several key free agents, including cornerback Byron Maxwell, who Schneider expects to command strong interest on the open market.

Schneider knows he will inevitably lose key players to other teams, and the Seahawks’ success has largely been built on developing young talent from middle- and late-round draft picks.

“We’re not changing anything we do,” he said.

For the general manager, the offseason process began a month before the heartbreaking loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX earlier this month.

“I’m not over it, I think it’s always going to stay with you. It’s part of life,” Schneider said. “It drives ya. It’s just one of those things. We’re just moving forward.”