The Beast is back!  Marshawn Lynch, former Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills running back, and my favorite player of all time, is un-retiring and returning to the NFL for one last rodeo.  And, while he is leaving my Seahawks for the Oakland Raiders, his hometown (and favorite) team, I am beyond excited to once again watch Beast Mode rumble over all of his opposing defenders.

Let me give you a few statistics on Marshawn Lynch before I delve deeper into the legend that is this manimal.  Lynch was drafted in the first round by the Buffalo Bills. Although his first two seasons were “meh,” in which he rushed for 1,115 yards and 1,036 yards in 2007 and 2008, respectively, Marshawn Lynch didn’t become Beast Mode until he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in the middle of the 2010 season for basically chump change.  That trade became the biggest screw-up Buffalo ever made.  Seattle was able to unleash the monster that was Marshawn, who went on to gain over 1,200 yards and made the Pro Bowl annually for the next four seasons (2011-2014).  In the 2012 season, Lynch was able to rush for an outstanding 1,590 yards, becoming a First Team All-Pro, recognizing  him as the top running back in the NFL.  Buffalo probably wanted to jump off something high after its mistake in trading Lynch.  But, then tragedy struck Seattle, as hamstring and hernia injuries effectively destroyed Marshawn’s 2015 season, in which he rushed for 417 measly yards and was outshined by teammate Thomas Rawls.  After that season, Lynch retired from the league, ending an illustrious career with 9,112 rushing yards and 74 touchdowns.  But, alas, after a year of retirement, Marshawn is returning to the NFL in a Raider jersey.

Marshawn Lynch is more than just boring stats, and will not be remembered for gaudy numbers.  Instead, NFL fans will remember how Marshawn ran.  Unlike most running backs, who try to run away from opponents, he ran into them.  He had a crazy tendency to make big plays out of absolutely nothing, shaking off linebackers like they were rag dolls, throwing off cornerbacks like pillows, and essentially leaving defenses in shredded tatters.  Frankly, this running back could not have been mortal, because it’s very hard to believe that Lynch and I were created equal.  When he was in the zone, he was essentially a god in human’s clothing.

Lynch was also the reason I started watching the NFL, Seahawks, and sports in general.  There are certain, rare players that are so entertaining and great that people will watch games just to see them.  Jerry Rice was one of these.  Tom Brady is one of these.  Marshawn Lynch is also one of these.  I remember sitting in front of the TV, yelling my lungs off at Pete Carroll to handoff the pigskin to Marshawn literally every play, as if he could actually hear me through the silver screen.  

Now, Lynch will become the starting running back for the talented Raiders for the next two years.  Oakland received him from Seattle for just a fifth-round pick, and immediately signed him for a contract worth a maximum of $16.5 million over two years.  His smash-mouth rushing style will bring a dominant, three-down back for a team in win-now mode, looking for their first Super Bowl in over thirty years.  Let’s just wait and see if his body can hold up after nine years of crashing over defenders, a year of retirement, and a plethora of injuries in 2015.

Although I will still root for the Seahawks, I wish Lynch the best of luck on his new team.  He will still be my favorite player, even while running as a Raider in Oakland.  And now, his legacy will end the way it should, with Beast Mode rushing off into the sunset in a silver and black Raiders’ jersey.