Marshawn Lynch Won’t Play For Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On Monday, the Super Bowl XLVIII running back Marshawn Lynch appeared on Monday Night Football alongside hosts Peyton and Eli Manning. Lynch revealed that he would not come back to play in the NFL, even if he was asked by Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

During Lynch’s career, the 35-year-old was frequently in the headlines – most of the time for his powerful running and untouchable speed but sometimes for his larger-than-life personality and media antics. On Monday Night Football, he did not fail to be the most entertaining person on the T.V. screen.

For example, early on in the show, Lynch was asked about a certain pre-game ritual. Eli asked, “I learned that before games you had a pre-game ritual where you would do a shot and a half of Hennessy before the game. Did you do anything to get warmed up tonight?” Lynch jokingly replied in a way that excited fans for what was to come for the rest of the episode. “Well, I’m not playin’, so I had a three-shot minimum today. So I’m feeling real good. I took one for me, I took one for big bro, and I have one for little bro,” he said.

While the three did briefly discuss Lynch’s affinity for eating Skittles on the sidelines during his games – a habit that the three jokingly attributed to his edge over the competition – they also discussed some serious topics. Lynch, nicknamed “Beast Mode,” was asked how he learned to run with such raw power that would result in other players bouncing off of him. He was also asked if he would want to return to the NFL.

Peyton asked, “Marshawn if the Tampa Bay Bucs offered you a contract tomorrow, would you come back and play?”

Lynch then squashed the hopes of many “Beast Mode” fans and emphasized that he is happy where he is. “As much as I would love to go line it up with TB (Tom Brady), I’m satisfied where I’m at,” he said.

Lynch briefly retired after a fruitful career with the Seattle Seahawks in 2016 and then came back for three more seasons and retired again in 2019. Lynch is a five-time Pro Bowler, as well as earning a first-team All-Pro accolade and a Super Bowl championship.