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Seattle Seahawks

Without words, Lynch announces ‘retirement’ on Twitter

Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch hasn’t filed his retirement paperwork, the club says. (Stephen Brashear / Associated Press)
Bob Condotta Seattle Times

SEATTLE – Marshawn Lynch’s run as an NFL player, including six seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, is apparently over.

It ended in what may be viewed as the most fitting fashion possible for a player who became known as much for his reluctance to the talk to the media as the punishment he dealt to opposing defenders – with a wordless Tweet.

During the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl Sunday, Lynch simply tweeted a photo of cleats dangling over a wire and a “peace out’’ emoji, signifying to the world that he was hanging them up after nine years in the NFL, the past six with the Seahawks.

Lynch’s tweet was followed a few minutes later by a tweet from Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman that appeared to offer further confirmation: “Salute to my guy @MoneyLynch … It was an honor sharing the field with you.” Lynch’s mother, Delisa, also appeared to offer confirmation, Tweeting: “When one door closes God opens another one even better thank you Jesus!!!!!”

And later in the night, the team re-tweeted Lynch with the words #ThankYouBeastMode. The team did not offer official, on-the-record confirmation that Lynch had retired.

But league sources confirmed that Lynch plans to retire and that the tweets were simply the way he wanted to let the world know.

But while Lynch’s run with the Seahawks may be over, the runs he made with the Seahawks as the heart-and-soul of the offense during the franchise’s most successful era figure to live on for as long as the team exists.

He is a five-time Pro Bowl and one-time All-Pro selection, and he was the offensive leader during the Super Bowl-winning 2013 season.

Lynch finishes his Seattle career as the team’s fourth-leading rusher with 6,347 yards while standing second in rushing touchdowns with 57 (trailing the 100 of Shaun Alexander) and third in total touchdowns with 65 (behind the 112 of Alexander and 101 of Steve Largent).

Lynch, though, turns 30 in April and endured the most injury-riddled season of his career in 2015, limited to seven regular season games and one in the post-season, due largely to an abdominal injury that required surgery.

He had considered retiring after each of the last two seasons, as well, and general manager John Schneider said during two radio interviews on Jan. 22 that Lynch was “leaning’’ toward retiring.

The Seahawks will save $6.5 million against the salary cap with Lynch retiring, the same total that would have been saved had he been released, which the team was expected to do if Lynch had wanted to keep playing.