Jamaal Charles, Marshawn Lynch and signing older running backs
By Matt Conner
Marshawn Lynch’s reunion with the Seattle Seahawks makes as much sense as the Kansas City Chiefs signing Jamaal Charles.
The year is 2019. It is very nearly 2020. Somehow one of the most well-known headlines coming from the National Football League is the signing of running back Marshawn Lynch with the Seattle Seahawks.
This is the same Lynch that hasn’t been relevant since the 2014 season.
That’s not a knock on Lynch. The veteran has enjoyed a great career in the NFL and was even playing at recently as last season. It’s just that he’s nearly 34-years-old, averaged 7 games played per year over the last 4 campaigns, and hasn’t been effective as his “Beast Mode” nickname for the last half-decade.
Now Lynch is back once again with plenty of fanfare.
There are two spins this signing brings to the table and each are interesting from the position of the Chiefs:
1. This signing is laughable.
Picture the Chiefs doing this same thing with Jamaal Charles, a franchise hero of a back who has struggled to play much since 2014. Just like Marshawn, his best days are behind him. Just like Marshawn, he played as recently as 2018. Just like Marshawn, he’s a hero to the team who deserves all kinds of accolades for his stellar career.
But the idea of the Chiefs signing Charles to join the roster in 2019 is laughable, right? The Chiefs just lost Spencer Ware for the rest of the year and could potentially be on the prowl for further depth at the position. Yet if you read the news that Jamaal Charles was the signing, wouldn’t that be laughable—or at least quizzical.
The Seahawks have every reason to believe they can represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. They’re beset by injuries at running back and have now turned to Beast Mode for another run at postseason glory. Can we take that seriously? After all, Lynch didn’t play at all in ’16 and turned in portions of forgettable seasons with the Oakland Raiders the last last two years.
2. This signing is laudable.
The other spin on this is much more positive and brings up a possibility for the Chiefs. Instead of using a familiar example to throw shade on another team, there’s a chance that the Seahawks could serve as an example here.
Yes, Beast Mode hit the wall a while back. He doesn’t regularly move piles of defenders like he did during his heyday and it’s a surprise to see him back in the league. But the Seahawks also aren’t asking him to be the bell cow of old. Despite losing Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise, the Seahawks are now putting Lynch in a committee with Robert Turbin and rookie Travis Homer.
In short, Lynch is not only a feel-good signing for the fan base but it’s a no-risk chance to see what he still has left when inspired. If there’s anything left in the tank, it becomes a great story for the stretch run. That’s a win-win for a franchise who needed to sign someone anyway.
Could the same be true for the Chiefs? The loss of Darrel Williams and Spencer Ware for the year means that the Chiefs could have a need at the position but they’re certainly not in dire straits. Damien Williams is back and healthy. LeSean McCoy has been held back for this very time. Darwin Thompson is the rookie waiting in the wings.
However, what if the Chiefs were to bring in Charles for just a handful of reps per game or even for the sake of security? It’s all a silly longshot because the last time we heard from Charles, he was signing a one-day deal to retire with the team. He’s likely not in game shape and there are better candidate. It’s laughable. However, it could also be laudable, a feel-good signing with no risk attached as the Chiefs just check out what’s in the tank.
Look, no one is saying the Chiefs should even check into Charles. It’s just a way to frame the Lynch signing by putting it into a different context. On the surface, it felt like a ridiculous signing, a reach back in time for something no longer there. Then again, there’s another side to this: one that hardly costs the Seahawks anything but could allow for one of this postseason’s cooler stories.