Agent confirms Seahawks star Marshawn Lynch plans to retire

SEATTLE — When Marshawn Lynch was brought to Seattle early in the 2010 season, he was acquired because the Seahawks desperately needed a running back.

What he ended up providing was an attitude and style that became the foundation for bringing the first Super Bowl title to the Pacific Northwest.

And for that, Lynch will forever hold a special place with the Seahawks. He may have been more of a headache off the field than anyone let on during his time in Seattle, but he’ll ultimately be lauded as the running back that got the Seahawks to a place they had never been before.

Without saying a word — big surprise — Lynch drew a lot of attention during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl on Sunday night with a single post on social media. Just a picture, green cleats hanging from a power or telephone line, and a peace sign emoji. It was his way of saying goodbye from football, a decision that his agent Doug Hendrickson confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday saying Lynch intends to retire.

The mercurial running back who enjoyed avoiding media attention away from the field as much as he thrived under the spotlight with the ball in his hands is stepping away just before his 30th birthday.

“Since I’ve been here he’s been the heart and soul, the engine of our offense. A vocal leader. A great influence and one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” Seattle wide receiver Doug Baldwin said last month of Lynch. “I can’t say enough about him.”

His final season was an injury-filled disappointment. There were no “Beast Mode” runs in his final season that will forever be in his highlight loop or the image of Lynch leaping into the end zone backward as he did to cap a few great runs in his career. He was a spectator as much as anything, playing in just seven regular season games and one playoff game as injuries were finally a factor in his ability to play.