Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Marshawn Lynch

Discover the career path of Marshawn Lynch, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Marshawn Lynch, nicknamed "Beast Mode", is a former NFL running back notable for his powerful running style and impactful career, primarily with the Seattle Seahawks. He was a first-team All-American at the University of California, winning Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. Drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2007, he earned a Pro Bowl selection before being traded to Seattle in 2010, where he became a key player and fan favorite.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1981: Touchdown Pass

Marshawn Lynch completed a touchdown pass to tight end Robert Royal in 2007, which was the first touchdown pass completed by a Bills non-quarterback since running back Joe Cribbs in 1981.

2005: Starting Running Back

In 2005, Marshawn Lynch became the starting running back. He had a strong season, amassing 1,246 rushing yards with 10 rushing touchdowns, despite missing two games due to injury. He was named MVP of the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl.

July 22, 2006: Heisman Trophy Campaign Launch

On July 22, 2006, the Cal football program officially launched the campaign for Lynch to win the 2006 Heisman Trophy with the opening of the website Marshawn10.com.

December 28, 2006: Holiday Bowl Performance

On December 28, 2006, Marshawn Lynch ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl victory over Texas A&M and shared the Co-Offensive Player of the Game award.

2006: Fam1st Family Foundation

In 2006, Marshawn Lynch started his own charitable foundation called the Fam1st Family Foundation to give back to his hometown of Oakland, California.

2006: Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year

In 2006, Marshawn Lynch was recognized as the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year while playing college football for the California Golden Bears.

2006: Preseason Honors and Track and Field

In the 2006 preseason, Marshawn Lynch earned a spot on the watchlist for the Maxwell Award, was named 8th best player in the nation by Sports Illustrated, and earned several preseason All-American accolades. In the spring, he joined the Cal Track & Field team.

January 2, 2007: Declaration for NFL Draft

On January 2, 2007, Marshawn Lynch announced he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2007 NFL draft.

April 28, 2007: Drafted by Buffalo Bills

On April 28, 2007, Marshawn Lynch was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 12th overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft and agreed to a six-year contract.

2007: Lack of Passing Game Involvement

In 2007, Marshawn Lynch was not very involved in the passing game due to his inexperience, according to the Bills' new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert.

2007: Drafted into the NFL

In 2007, Marshawn Lynch was selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills.

2007: Increased Receiving Yards

In 2008, Marshawn Lynch posted 300 receiving yards on 47 receptions, including a receiving touchdown. This performance in 2008 improved on Lynch's receiving performance in 2007, during which he had 184 yards on 18 receptions.

2008: Pro Bowl Selection

In 2008, Marshawn Lynch earned Pro Bowl honors while playing for the Buffalo Bills.

2008: Increased Passing Game Involvement

In 2008, Marshawn Lynch was expected to be more involved in Buffalo's passing game, according to the Bills' new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert.

2009: Replaced as Starting Running Back

Beginning November 29, 2009, Marshawn Lynch was replaced as the Bills' starting running back by Fred Jackson and finished the season with 450 yards on 120 carries with two rushing touchdowns.

2010: Trade to the Seattle Seahawks

During the 2010 season, Marshawn Lynch was traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

2010: Seattle Seahawks Career Begins

In 2010, Marshawn Lynch began playing with the Seattle Seahawks. This period saw him leading the league in rushing touchdowns twice, receiving multiple Pro Bowl selections, and one first-team All-Pro selection.

2010: First Touchdown of the Season

In the 2010 season, Lynch had 202 carries for 737 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. On December 5, he scored three touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers. On October 17, he scored his first touchdown of the season with the Seahawks on a 1-yard run against the Chicago Bears.

January 8, 2011: "Beast Quake" Touchdown Run

On January 8, 2011, in his first career playoff game against the New Orleans Saints, Lynch had a 67-yard touchdown run, breaking nine tackles and throwing Saints cornerback Tracy Porter to the ground. This run became known as the "Beast Quake" due to fan movement registering on a seismograph.

2011: "Beast Quake" Touchdown Run

During week 16 of the 2011 season, Lynch had a career-long 79-yard touchdown run against the Arizona Cardinals similar to his "Beast Quake" 67-yard scoring run. Four days later, Lynch was fined $11,050 by the NFL for his celebration of the score.

2011: Career Best Season

In 2011, Lynch started 15 games. He rushed for 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns, both career bests, marking his first 1,000-yard season since 2008. On December 1, against the Philadelphia Eagles, he was observed receiving Skittles from a trainer to celebrate his touchdown.

March 4, 2012: Signs with the Seahawks

On March 4, 2012, Lynch signed a four-year, $31 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks.

2012: Successful 2012 Season

During the 2012 season, Lynch had a strong performance, including 122 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. He posted four consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards and three consecutive games with a rushing touchdown. The Seahawks finished with an 11–5 record and made the playoffs.

2013: Significant Contributor for the Seahawks

During the 2013 season, Lynch rushed for 1,257 yards and 12 touchdowns, tying with Jamaal Charles for the league lead in rushing touchdowns. In the Divisional Round against the New Orleans Saints, he had 140 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 23–15 victory.

2013: Athletes Give Back Campaign

In 2013, Marshawn Lynch was featured in Red Bull's "Athletes Give Back" campaign when he put together a successful food drive for his hometown.

January 28, 2014: Official Skittles Deal Announced

On January 28, 2014, an official deal between Marshawn Lynch and Skittles was announced, with $10,000 to be donated to his Fam First Foundation for each touchdown he scored in Super Bowl XLVIII.

July 24, 2014: Contract Restructure Agreement

On July 24, 2014, Michael Robinson announced that Lynch would hold out of Training Camp while he waited for a restructured contract from the Seahawks. Lynch and the Seahawks quickly agreed to new terms for the season.

2014: Successful Performances and Touchdowns

During the 2014 season, Lynch had 110 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers. In Week 3, he completed the first overtime drive by rushing for a touchdown, giving the Seahawks a victory over Denver in a Super Bowl rematch. Against the New York Giants, he had 140 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.

March 6, 2015: Contract Extension with Seahawks

On March 6, 2015, Lynch and the Seahawks agreed to a 2-year, $24 million contract extension. He starred in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers, racking up 122 yards and a touchdown.

2015: First Retirement

In 2015, Marshawn Lynch initially retired from the NFL following an injury-plagued year.

2015: End of Seattle Seahawks Career

In 2015, Marshawn Lynch's time with the Seattle Seahawks came to an end. During his tenure, he achieved multiple Pro Bowl selections and one first-team All-Pro selection.

February 7, 2016: Retirement Announcement

On February 7, 2016, Lynch announced his retirement via Twitter by posting a picture of his football cleats hanging from a telephone wire. Following his retirement, he became a mentor to college football players at Cal.

April 2017: Return to the NFL

In early April 2017, after sitting out the 2016 season, it was reported Lynch had agreed to terms with his hometown Oakland Raiders and that the Seahawks, who retained his rights even after retirement, would trade him. Lynch said he was inspired to come out of retirement by the team's impending move to Las Vegas.

April 26, 2017: Traded to the Oakland Raiders

On April 26, 2017, Lynch officially passed his physical and was traded to the Oakland Raiders along with Seattle's sixth-round draft pick for Oakland's fifth-round selection in the 2018 NFL draft. Lynch signed a two-year, $9 million contract.

September 19, 2017: Beast Mobile Launch

On September 19, 2017, Marshawn Lynch launched his own ad-supported Beast Mobile cellphone service, allowing subscribers to pay their phone bill by engaging in ads and offers.

2017: 10,000 Rushing Yards

During the 2017 regular-season finale, Lynch became the 31st player in NFL history to rush for over 10,000 rushing yards. He finished the season with 207 carries for 891 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.

2017: Return to NFL with the Oakland Raiders

In 2017, Marshawn Lynch returned to the NFL and played for the Oakland Raiders.

November 2018: Team Owner in Fan Controlled Football League

In November 2018, Marshawn Lynch and Richard Sherman were announced as the first two team owners in a proposed Fan Controlled Football League.

2018: Final Season with Raiders

In the 2018 season, Lynch recorded a rushing touchdown in the first three games. On October 22, Lynch was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury. He finished the season with 90 carries for 376 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in six games.

December 23, 2019: Return to the Seahawks

On December 23, 2019, Lynch returned to the NFL and signed with the Seahawks alongside Robert Turbin, after Seattle lost three running backs to injury.

2019: Return to the Seahawks

In 2019, Marshawn Lynch reunited with the Seattle Seahawks for their last regular-season game and playoff run.

2019: Co-Owner of Oakland Panthers

In 2019, Marshawn Lynch was announced as co-owner of the Oakland Panthers of the Indoor Football League (IFL).

2019: Playoff Touchdowns

In 2019, Marshawn Lynch's three additional playoff touchdowns moved him into fourth place on the all-time postseason rushing touchdowns list, tying him with Terrell Davis and John Riggins with 12.

January 12, 2020: Lynch on Potential Return

On January 12, 2020, Marshawn Lynch responded to a question about potentially returning to the Seahawks for the 2020 NFL season with "We'll see what's happening." Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll also commented on Lynch's return, stating, "We'll see. You never know." Lynch was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2010s Team.

December 2020: Interest in Signing

In December 2020, Marshawn Lynch said in an interview with Conan O'Brien that teams had expressed interest in signing him and that he was willing to sign with a team that is a Super Bowl contender.

February 2021: First Fan Controlled Football Game

In February 2021, the Fan Controlled Football (FCF) league played its first game with Marshawn Lynch as one of three owners of a team called the Beasts. Lynch dressed for the game but decided not to play.

April 2021: Joins Oakland Roots SC Ownership

In April 2021, Marshawn Lynch joined the ownership group of the Oakland Roots SC of the USL Championship and also joined the PFL as a brand ambassador and investor.

October 2021: NFLPA Brand Chief Ambassador

In October 2021, Marshawn Lynch was named the first NFLPA brand chief ambassador.

November 2021: Investor in PORTL Inc.

In November 2021, Marshawn Lynch was revealed as an investor in PORTL Inc., the holoportation startup.

2021: Launch of Dodi Blunts

In 2021, Marshawn Lynch launched a line of cannabis products under the brand name Dodi Blunts.

April 18, 2022: Joins Seattle Kraken Ownership

On April 18, 2022, the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that Marshawn Lynch had joined its ownership group.

July 2024: Co-hosting Politickin' podcast

In July 2024, Marshawn Lynch began co-hosting the "Politickin'" podcast alongside California governor Gavin Newsom and sports agent Doug Hendrickson, discussing various topics and interviewing celebrities.