All good things must come to an end. Michael Bennett believes that the magic was gone the moment running back Marshawn Lynch left the Seattle Seahawks.
During his appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Bennett explains why Lynch was the glue in the locker room that kept the Seahawks together. “Oh yeah, man. Marshawn’s personality is so big and he’s such a — he’s one of those dudes, he’s really like Nina Simone. He’s just misunderstood,” he said, per For The Win. “People misunderstand him all the time. He’s such a great guy when it comes to doing community. He’s such a great teammate. He’s shows up to everybody’s thing. He plays hard. When he practices, he practices hard. So when he left, you could feel it. He was just that guy that had swag that made the Seahawks feel like a different type of team.”
Bennett went on to say that while having a Russell Wilson on your team is beneficial, you also need “three or four Marshawn Lynches."
Following back-to-back seasons in 2010 and 2011 where the Seattle Seahawks finished with a 7-9 record, the organization turned their luck around with their pick of quarterback Russell Wilson in the third round of the 2012 draft.
Wilson’s arrival finally gave the Seahawks a much-needed offensive punch to balance out their defense. In recent years, the Seahawks have made multiple playoff appearances. They've also made two trips to the Super Bowl in 2014 and 2015. Last year, the Seahawks failed to reach the playoffs after finishing 9-7, and there were signs that the team was falling apart.
This offseason, two important, long-term pieces in the Seahawks’ defense—Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett—are no longer part of the team. Only time will tell if Seattle can revitalize the magic they once had.
