The Seattle Seahawks plan to keep Marshawn Lynch around for the long haul.
The team announced Friday that Lynch signed a two-year extension, keeping the hard-charging running back in Seattle through the 2017 season. Â
The contract is worth $24 million in new money and pays $31 million over the next three years, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported, via a person who has seen the deal. If Lynch plays all three years, he will earn $12 million in 2015, $9 million in 2016 and $10 million in 2017.
That's a big "if." There's still a chance Lynch will collect only his $12 million in guarantees for next season.
The 28-year-old five-time Pro Bowl selection was mulling retirement after another sensational campaign that saw him play through chronic pain due to compressed cartilage in his back, a condition that caused him considerable issues in 2014.
Rapoport has noted for weeks that Seattle's hope was to retain Lynch beyond next season with a huge contract extension that would keep him in a Seahawks uniform for years to come.
The Seahawks believe that Lynch -- after rushing for 1,200-plus yards in each of the past four seasons -- outplayed his current deal. They have now rewarded him for his handiwork.
It's a far cry from where the front office appeared to be during the season, when Seattle showed little interest in re-signing their star runner. After "Beast Mode" helped tug the 'Hawks to their second straight Super Bowl, though, his value to the organization has never been higher.
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