Marshawn Lynch may or may not actually be retired, maybe

Is Beastmode really retired?

In a report by Bleacher Report's Jason Cole, Cole notes that "Lynch told two ex-teammates that he's still thinking about playing this upcoming season, and he still has plans to do that." So, that's interesting.

Cole pointed out that Lynch's agent Doug Hendrickson does not believe that Lynch will play again. As for the Seahawks, per Cole, there is some thinking that the team wants to move on without Lynch because of his cap hit ($9M) plus his recent injury history.

Plus you have to wonder if they simply want to avoid the distraction that bringing Lynch back might create.

As the folks over at Rotoworld framed it,

Richard Sherman said earlier this month he is not convinced Lynch is retired for good, and Michael Bennett said he thinks Lynch could "make an appearance later on." It is possible Sherman and Bennett are the two ex-teammates referenced in the report. For what it is worth, Lynch's agent maintains his client is not considering playing this season. One of the most interesting characters in the league over the last decade, it is far from surprising Lynch's retirement has turned into something of a circus.

Circus. That's a word I continually use in reference to the Seahawks and a lot of the circus around the team has actually revolved around Lynch and his hijinks.

Recently, Richard Sherman was asked (by Michael Robinson, naturally) the odds of Lynch coming back from retirement. He replied, "I don't put anything past him. He's about as predictable as a pair of dice. So I don't try to call his plays."

As for Bennett, he recently told Bob Condotta that he thinks Lynch is retired... for now.

"Yeah, I think he's done," Bennett said. "He might make an appearance later on but I think he's done for right now. He's played a lot of football, done a lot of great things on the field. I think he's really focused on his community work. I want him to play again, but we'll see."

As for that later on comment, Lynch's cousin, rapper Mista FAB, recently echoed that statement in an interview, replying to the question of whether or not Lynch is retired with a decisive "He's done," but then trailed off into, ".... you know, um............ ...... for the regular season."

So, I imagine we'll get plenty of this speculation for the rest of the offseason, and be blessed with it during the regular season as well.

Of course, the Seahawks still hold Lynch's rights, so it may be partly up to them as well. Cole states that he doesn't know whether the Seahawks would even want him back -- and I would also echo that doubt -- so it may all be moot.

Everyone on Marshawn watch: Question isn't if he wants to play again or not. It's if #Seahawks want him back. Strong indications they don't.

— Stephen Cohen (@scohenPI) May 26, 2016

This is something I've heard through the grapevine as well.

If Lynch wanted to come out of retirement as the playoffs approached, he couldn't simply play for any team. Seattle would have to either trade or release him for that to happen.

Regardless, in the meantime, it's worth noting that BeastMode gear probably sells better when we're still talking about Lynch. That may be all this is--Lynch is a savvy promoter of his brand--so staying in the news certainly doesn't hurt. Stay tuned...