Marcus Peters wants to speak on Marshawn Lynch’s behalf to NFL

Marshawn Lynch will have an advocate as he appeals his one-game suspension in the form of Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters.

No one is quite sure why Marshawn Lynch decided it would be a good idea to run onto the field as tensions grew and players started fighting during the Kansas City Chiefs visit to play the Oakland Raiders on Thursday. Lynch himself hardly ever talks to the media in a meaningful way, and the Raiders running back certainly hasn’t tried to explain the reason he ran in from the sideline in order to participate in the fracas that resulted in his ejection, due to Lynch grabbing and shoving an official in the process of it all.

The drama on Thursday night started when Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters hit Derek Carr as Carr took off on a quarterback run. Peters’ hit was later penalized (albeit unfairly given that the ref hadn’t blown his whistle and Carr was definitely not supposed to be protected like he was still in the pocket), but it also resulted in several Raiders players taking exception to the hit on their quarterback. That’s when the yelling and shoving started, and that’s also when Lynch came in.

Lynch was suspended for one game by the NFL on Friday, but apparently Lynch will not only appeal the decision but he hopes to have the support of one of his opponents from Thursday with word that Peters wants to speak out on Lynch’s behalf to the league when they hear evidence for his appeal.

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At the time, speculation was that Lynch might have been trying to play a middle man of sorts between his cousin, Peters, and his teammates who were angry at him at the time. Donald Pen later bolstered that storyline by saying as much in a quote to ESPN, “Marshawn was just trying to get his cousin and make sure his cousin was safe.”