Former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch made some headlines last December when he casually mentioned during an interview with Conan O'Brien that he had been talking to an NFL team about potentially joining them for a possible postseason run.
At the time, Lynch didn't name the team he had been talking with, but he finally decided to reveal that information during an interview on ESPN's SportsNation this week. Apparently, Tom Brady was trying to woo Beast Mode to Tampa Bay so the two could make a run at the Super Bowl together.
"I was specifically speaking to Tom Brady and the Bucs," Lynch said. "That's who I was talking to."
Lynch didn't say if he reached out to Brady or if Brady reached out to him, but the fact that they talked is definitely interesting. For one, it's completely believable that Brady might have reached out and that's because the Buccaneers season started to fall apart near the end of November. After losing a Week 12 game to the Chiefs, the Buccaneers fell to 7-5 heading into their Week 13 bye. With the season slipping away, it's not too crazy to think that Brady might have reached out to Lynch at some point during the bye.
The Buccaneers didn't play a single game between Nov. 30 and Dec. 12 and Lynch's interview with O'Brien took place on Dec. 10, so it would make sense if a conversation happened somewhere in that window.
Here's what Lynch told Conan back in December about making a possible return:
"If the situation is right, then I mean, it could happen," Lynch said. "I've been asked the question by a couple teams here recently. Like, 'Are you ready?' I'm ready if you all are Super Bowl ready. That's what it would take me to come out, to come and play again. It would have to be a guaranteed Super Bowl game for me."
Although Lynch didn't end up signing with the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay ended up being just fine. Coming out of their Week 13 bye, the Buccaneers ended up winning eight straight games, including Super Bowl LV.
As for Lynch, although he's already come out of retirement twice, don't look for it to happen again. The 34-year-old, who turns 35 this week, sounds like he's finally retired for good.
"I think that time has passed," Lynch said of a possible return.
