“Saying goodbye doesn’t mean anything. It’s the time we spent together that matters, not how we left it.” –Trey Parker

The Seattle Seahawks and Marshawn Lynch are heading towards a divorce. At this point it’s nearly unavoidable. He is almost at the dreaded age of 30, which is when most running backs fall off a production cliff and with the surprising emergence of rookie RB Thomas Rawls the future looks bright. There is a chance, albeit a low percentage, of him coming back for the 2016 season. It’s rumored he will need to take a massive pay cut to stay in Seattle. He’s due to make a combined $12.5 million when you add up his base salary, $7 million, signing bonus, $2.5 million and roster bonus, $3 million. Teams who employ a RB who makes over $10 million per season and over the age of 30 is a rare thing nowadays. Very few teams do this because RB’s break down much quicker than other positions and most teams would rather have a young guy who is eager to prove himself. Russell Wilson put the team on his back while Lynch was out, which makes me think Carroll and Darrell Bevell want to evolve the offense into more of a passing attack.

Marshawn Lynch is the heartbeat of the Seattle Seahawks. He sets the tone with his physical running style. When he drags multiple defenders on his back for those extra yards it gives the players that extra bit of excitement and motivation. The Beast-Quake, as well as the Beast-Quake 2.0, will live on forever in Seattle sports lore. I don’t know if I will ever witness a more thrilling run than either of those two. For me, the effort and will he displayed sums up the type of player/person Marshawn Lynch is. Yes, he is an enigma who marches to the beat of his own drum but when he lets down his guard and gives us a glimpse into his world something special happens. That something special is the “I’m just here so I won’t get fined” and “bout that action, boss” moments. Personally, I will be using those phrases until the day I die, so please don’t fine me Lynch. His E:60 special was eye-opening. I did not realize the positive impact he has on his community in Oakland. The summer camps he runs for the youth do so much good. Being an Oakland native helps him connect with the kids because he knows what they are going through and the daily struggles they face. It’s one of the most inspiring stories in the NFL. My respect is out of this world for him and if his Seattle career is over I would just like to say thank you for everything you have done and brought to this city. He was one of the first major acquisitions under Carroll/Schnieder and turned out to be a foundation piece in the Seahawks meteoric rise to prominence. I wish him nothing but success in whatever he decides to do next.