Cohen: Making Marshawn Lynch's Hall of Fame case

Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM Marshawn Lynch, seen here at the Seahawks' victory parade following...

Marshawn Lynch retired on Sunday, and true to form, he used exactly zero words to do so.

While the entire nation was watching the conclusion of Super Bowl 50, the notoriously media-shy (or perhaps media-allergic) Lynch posted a picture to Twitter depicting a pair of cleats hanging off a telephone wire. His only commentary came in the form of an emoji flashing a peace sign.

Unlike much of Lynch's nine-year long NFL career, which was often clouded by his enigmatic personality, Sunday's message seemed crystal clear.

"I'm hanging 'em up. Peace out."

His retirement was not unexpected. In fact, his odds of returning to Seattle likely fell somewhere below the chance he'd announce a nationwide speaking tour on "The Art of Interviewing" this offseason.

But his departure, which was subsequently confirmed by his agent, Doug Hendrickson, now affords the franchise and its fans an opportunity to reflect on the career of one of the most iconic players in Seahawks history before moving on.

That reflection comes to an inescapable question at the conclusion: Is Lynch a Hall of Famer?

It's going to be an interesting debate for at least the next five years, when Lynch would first be eligible for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Let's consider his candidacy.

Since he arrived in Seattle via a midseason trade with Buffalo in 2010, Lynch became the focal point of head coach Pete Carroll's offense. He was undeniably the driving force on a Seahawks offense that won Super Bowl XLVIII and nearly repeated a year later in Super Bowl XLIX.

He reeled off four straight seasons with more than 1,200 rushing yards and never scored fewer than 11 touchdowns in each of those campaigns.

If the 29-year-old Lynch doesn't change his mind about hanging up his cleats and never plays another down, he finishes his career with 9,112 rushing yards and 74 rushing touchdowns in nine seaons. Those marks don't exactly clinch things for Lynch, ranking 36th and 24th in NFL history, respectively. (But don't forget his 252 receptions for 1,979 yards and nine more touchdowns to boot.)

His rushing numbers are nearly identical -- and his rushing style similar -- to former Houston Oilers great Earl Campbell (9,875 yards and 78 touchdowns), but Campbell -- a Hall of Fame inductee in 1991 -- compiled his in 14 fewer games. That's nearly an entire season.

Since he didn't play long enough to surpass numbers that would make him all but a lock for enshrinement (like 12,000 rushing yards or 100 rushing touchdowns), the case for or against Lynch will likely depend on each voter's criteria.

ESPN's Mike Sando outlined his argument for Lynch on Tuesday, and Lynch's resume is also good enough to earn a nod from Michael MacCambridge, author of "America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured A Nation." MacCambridge said Tuesday that while he's not on the Hall of Fame's selection committee, he'd likely campaign for Lynch's place in Canton if he were, even given Lynch's relatively short span of excellence.

"I myself think that longevity is a little bit overrated. When I'm trying to figure out who belongs in the Hall, I like to view a player by his best three seasons, his best five seasons," MacCambridge said. "That seems more important than staying healthy long enough because some of that is a lottery, especially in a game as violent as professional football."

Gallery: Marshawn Lynch through the years

In 2010, after four games with the Bills, Lynch was traded to the Seahawks in exchange for two future draft picks -- a fourth-round selection in 2011 and a conditional pick in 2012. Lynch made an immediate impact with Seattle, and on Dec. 5, 2010, he scored three touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers. less In 2010, after four games with the Bills, Lynch was traded to the Seahawks in exchange for two future draft picks -- a fourth-round selection in 2011 and a conditional pick in 2012. Lynch made an immediate ... more Photo: Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images Photo: Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images Image 1 of / 44 Caption Close Cohen: Making Marshawn Lynch's Hall of Fame case 1 / 44 Back to Gallery

One factor Lynch has going for him is his tremendous production in January and February. Lynch's 937 rushing yards in 11 career playoff games rank eighth in league history, ahead of such luminaries as Curtis Martin (795 yards in 10 games), Jerome Bettis (674 yards in 14 games) and Walter Payton (632 yards in nine games). Of the players ahead of Lynch in terms of postseason rushing yards, only former Broncos star Terrell Davis has yet to don the gold jacket.

But MacCambridge also thinks the case for Marshawn's election to the hall goes beyond the numbers and into the realm of narrative.

"One of the criteria that I've heard people use at different times was, 'Can you tell the story of this era in a particular sport without touching on this particular player?'" he said. "And I don't really think you can tell the history of pro football the last 10 years without touching on Marshawn Lynch and his contributions, both what he meant on the field and what he meant in a larger cultural sense."

Part of that history involves Lynch's now-legendary aversion to the media, including his refusal to take part in Super Bowl XLVIII media day in New York and his scripted performances the following year, which led to the now ubiquitous and oft-parodied, "I'm just 'bout that action, boss," and "I'm just here so I won't get fined."

But rather than hurting his candidacy for enshrinement, MacCambridge believes Lynch's standoffish stance will resonate with voters.

"In a way, Marshawn Lynch had the sanest response to that, that you could possibly have, which is -- the only sane response is to just ignore the whole thing and try to rise above it," MacCambridge said. "He made, in his own way, one of the most articulate cases for just how ludicrous the whole process had gotten."

So Lynch earns points for his playoff prowess and social commentary, but MacCambridge also thinks there may be one additional factor that helps him in his run to Canton: His nickname.

"The thing that people might remember the longest, the thing that still might be part of the culture 50 years from now, is 'Beast Mode.' It's such a wonderfully coined expression. I think like a lot of people I had never heard the formulation before, but once I saw the quote I knew exactly what it meant," MacCambridge said. "It's got a utility beyond sports. In the last few years, I've heard people describing 'Beast Mode' in terms of doing homework, in terms of housecleaning.

"How many athletes can say they're going to be remembered for a turn of phrase?" he asked. "I think Marshawn Lynch was a special football player."

Lynch was a special player, and certainly worthy of the Hall of Fame discussion, at least. And if, five or 10 years from now, the Hall decides to bestow football's greatest honor upon him, Seahawks fans will no doubt flock to Canton for the induction ceremony.

Just don't expect a long speech.

Visit seattlepi.com for more Seattle Seahawks news. Contact sports editor Stephen Cohen at stephencohen@seattlepi.com or @scohenPI.