Marshawn Lynch suspended for behavior during Chiefs-Raiders game

The Oakland Raiders will be without running back Marshawn Lynch when they play the Buffalo Bills in Week 8 after being suspended by the NFL.

Marshawn Lynch has three business days to appeal. If not, the Oakland Raiders running back will be suspended for the team’s upcoming game on the road against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8 and ineligible to join the team again until Monday,. October 30.

The NFL announced the decision to suspend Lynch on Friday after reviewing his behavior during a dramatic outbreak in the action between the Raiders and the visiting Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football. Shortly after taking off on a quarterback run, Derek Carr took a hit from Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters that upset some Raiders player. Peters was penalized on the play (although the hit was questionable but that’s a subject for a different time) and a fracas ensued with Raiders offensive linemen taking exception.

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It wasn’t long before emotions got the best of several players, who began yelling and shoving each other, gathering steam before officials got in the middle. Cameras then showed Lynch running in from the sideline just to join the gathering and, in the process, he made contact with and pushed an official. It’s unknown whether he was trying to join his Raiders teammates in potential defense of their quarterback or whether he was coming to the aid of Peters as well, to mediate in a way, given his relation to Peters. However, he should have let the officials handle things without meddling.

From the league office, Jon Runyan, the NFL’s Vice President of Football Operations, provided a written statement he said was also sent to Lynch to explain the one-game suspension. It read:

"“You made deliberate physical contact with one of our game officials as he was diffusing an active confrontation between players.  You were disqualified for your inappropriate and unsportsmanlike actions.  Your conduct included pushing the game official and grabbing his jersey…You were not directly involved in the active confrontation that the game official was attempting to diffuse, nor were you a participant in the play that initiated the confrontation.  You were the only player from either team who ran from the sideline to midfield to insert himself into a situation in which he was not directly involved.”"

Now the Raiders move forward without Lynch against the Bills hoping that DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard can get the running game moving enough against Buffalo.

Lynch has 72 carries for 266 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns so far this season for the Oakland Raiders.