Golden Nuggets: RB Marshawn Lynch reportedly skipping minicamp and considering retirement

Is RB Marshawn Lynch considering retirement after his big Super Bowl win? Or is it part of his absence from minicamps as part of a negotiation technique for his new contract?

By Leland Wong Jun 15, 2014, 3:00am PDT

Earlier this week, news broke that Marshawn Lynch would miss out on this season's minicamp, possibly as a bargaining chip of sorts for a new, more lucrative contract (video autoplays).

"It's very, very unlikely that Lynch will be there,'' said a source close to the situation. "He wants the Seahawks to renegotiate his current contract and provide him with more up-front money."

...

Lynch, 28, is starting the third year of a four-year deal that is worth $30 million, including $6 million in signing bonus. His base salary this season is $5 million and counts $7 million against the salary cap. The final year of the deal in 2015 would cost $9 million against the cap and pay Lynch $5.5 million in base salary.

Buuuuut, things just got interesting. His teammates have revealed that Lynch previously said he'd consider retirement if the Seahawks won the Super Bowl. Which they did. Did he mean that literally? Did he mean it like when you say you'd punch a dolphin for an It's-It? Or was it more of his negotiation techniques?

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that Lynch, 28, told two teammates during last season that he would seriously contemplate retiring after seven years in the NFL, including four Pro Bowl and one first-team All-Pro seasons. An anonymous source close to Lynch told Rapoport that retirement wouldn't be a huge surprise.

"He could," the source told Rapoport. "I could see him walking away."

This latest news could, however, be a thinly veiled negotiating tactic as Lynch reportedly jockeys for more money this offseason. While he is expected to miss Seahawks minicamp next week, to this point he didn't seem to have much leverage in talks with his team.