Marshawn Lynch hasn’t signed with the Raiders yet, but it’s closer to happening

Marshawn Lynch’s retirement is closer to being over as the five-time Pro Bowl running back is expected to return to the NFL to join the Oakland Raiders, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Initially, Mike Silver reported that the two sides had agreed to terms. A trade between the teams could happen, or Lynch could still be released. As of right now, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio says it hasn’t gotten all that far.

Lynch tweeted about the news, and essentially denied anything has happened yet:

Lynch, 30, retired after an injury-filled 2015 season simply by posting a photo of two cleats hanging on a wire during Super Bowl 50. During his time away from the NFL, Lynch traveled the globe, hiking the Corsican Mountains in France with Bear Grylls, riding camels in Egypt, and handing out Skittles in Scotland.

But the chance to play in his hometown of Oakland was enticing enough to pull the running back out of retirement. He visited the team earlier in April and reportedly told the team he was ready to end his retirement and become a member of the Raiders.

Lynch was born and raised in Oakland, starring in four sports at Oakland Technical High School and staying close to home during his collegiate football career with the California Golden Bears. He’s kept close ties with the city and donates his time and money to youth in the area through his Fam 1st Family Foundation.

Now he looks bound to return to play for a team that has a relocation to Las Vegas on the horizon, but Super Bowl aspirations in its remaining time in Oakland. A year ago, the Raiders finished 12-4, but watched a promising season evaporate when quarterback Derek Carr suffered a broken leg in Week 16.

With a mammoth offensive line anchored by costly acquistions like Rodney Hudson and Kelechi Osemele, the Raiders bulldozed to the sixth-most rushing yards with a three-headed rushing attack in 2016. Latavius Murray led the group with 788 yards and 12 touchdowns, but left to join the Minnesota Vikings in free agency, leaving DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard to handle the carries.

But neither of the pair of young running backs have even 100 career rushing attempts or handled a full-time workload like Lynch, who racked up 9,112 rushing yards and 74 rushing touchdowns over nine seasons in the NFL.

Lynch began his career as a first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills, tallying back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to begin his tenure with the team. A three-game suspension for a misdemeanor weapons charge and the emergence of Fred Jackson caused Lynch to fall out of favor in Buffalo and get traded to the Seahawks during the 2010 season, where he quickly made a mark three months later with the “Beast Quake” run that propelled Seattle to a postseason win.

Over the next four years he posted at least 1,200 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in each season, becoming a folk hero for Seahawks fans because of his bruising style of play and his quirky, often-standoffish personality with the media.

Lynch’s time in Seattle came to an end after hernia surgery caused him to miss the majority of the 2015 season. He will turn 31 later in April, and while that’s younger than many NFL players, it’s old for a running back and Lynch has taken and delivered plenty of hits during his career.

But if the “Beast Mode” of old returns to form with the Raiders, he would add another dangerous weapon to an offense that promises to be among the NFL’s best.