Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, a key player to the team’s run to this year’s Super Bowl, plans to hold out and not participate on the opening day of training camp Friday, according to former Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson.
Robinson is one of Lynch’s closest friends and has been advising him on his contract concerns.
“I really think he just wants his position in the organization and how they view him, he just wants that recalibrated a little bit,” Robinson said on the NFL Network. “He’s been the face of the franchise, he’s been the face of the organization.”
Sources also confirmed Lynch’s plan to ESPN.com.
Lynch wants his contract renegotiated with more money up front this season. He is starting the third year of a four-year deal that pays him $30 million. Lynch has a base salary of $5 million this season and $5.5 million in 2015, but he will count $7 million against the salary cap this year and $9 million next year.
Lynch did not attend any of the voluntary organized team activities in the offseason, but he did attend Seattle’s minicamp last month, believing the Seahawks would negotiate in good faith to make changes to his contract. However, he did not participate in the practice sessions because of a sore ankle.
If Lynch isn’t at camp, he will incur fines of $30,000 per day, along with partial forfeiture of his $6 million signing bonus if he holds out five days or more.
Lynch, 28, has been the workhorse of the Seattle offense the past three years, rushing for 4,051 yards on 901 carries (along with 39 touchdowns).
Robinson said he believes Lynch eventually will play this season.
“I think Marshawn will be playing football this year. I don’t know how they’re going to get it done, I don’t know how they’re going to make it work, but that team is not the championship team that they can be without ‘Beast Mode,'” Robinson said.
