A month ago, Marshawn Lynch was handing out tequila shots to Raiders fans in the parking lot prior to the final game in Oakland.
Now after spending a month playing for the Seahawks, he’s probably retired again, but you never really know. He scored two more touchdowns in the Seahawks’ loss to the Packers, giving him four in his three-game return.
Via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, the veteran running back offered a long and rambling answer about his own future in the game, which like much of his career, created as many questions than answers.
“It’s a vulnerable time for a lot of these young dudes, you feel me?” Lynch said after the Seahawks loss. “They don’t be taking care of their chicken right, you feel me? If they was me or I had the opportunity, the opportunity to let them know something, I say, ‘Take care of y’all money because that s--- don’t last forever.’ Now I’ve been on the other side of retirement, and it’s good when [you] get over there and you can do what the f--- you want to, so I tell y’all right now while y’all in it: Take care of y’all bread so when you’re all done, you go ahead and take care of yourself. So while y’all at it right now, take care of y’all bodies. Take care of y’all chicken, take care of y’all mentals, ‘cause we ain’t lasting that long.
“I had a couple players that I played with that they no longer here no more, they no longer — so you feel me? Start taking care of y’all mental, y’all bodies and y’all chicken for when you’re all ready to walk away, you walk away and be able to do what you want to do, but I appreciate it. Thank you all and have a good day.”
While not adhering strictly to the sonnet form, it appears that Lynch’s epic poem encouraged his young players to protect both their physical and mental well-being and also their investments so they have options in the future.
One of which, for Lynch, might be a game-worn Aaron Rodgers jersey, after he swapped with his former Cal teammate.
“He is one of my all-time favorite teammates, and I only had to play one year with him,” Rodgers said of Lynch. “But he has just an incredible personality and charisma, and he’s just so fun to be around. There was, obviously, conversation years ago about picking him up in a trade (in 2010 with the Bills) that fell through that would’ve been a lot of fun to play some more years together.
“But I just have a ton of respect for him in his career. He’s one of those transcendent players that is so likable and so respected by so many people, and I’m just fortunate to have gotten to play with him for a year. And so we were just catching up, talking about some silly stuff that happened back in the day and seeing where he’s at. He’s a lot of fun to be around, and it’s fun to see him.”
Rodgers presumably has his chicken in order.