All it took is one regular-season game for Marshawn Lynch to draw the attention of the NFL. The Oakland Raiders running back was slapped with a $12K fine for inappropriate hand gestures during Sunday’s football game against the Tennessee Titans, NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported on Thursday.
Lynch, notorious for committing infractions in the past (some of them led to sizable fines), made his NFL comeback on Sunday after sitting out in 2016. Fulfilling his dream of playing for his hometown team after the Seattle Seahawks agreed to trade his rights in the offseason, Lynch did not show any signs of rust or wear and tear as he recorded 76 yards on 18 attempts and completed a 16-yard reception in the season-opener.
It was evident right from the first snap that Lynch never abandoned his ‘Beast Mode’ persona. He’s still a ruthless power rusher, and at the same time, an enigmatic character on and off the field. Cameras caught Lynch flipping the bird with both hands in the fourth quarter of the Raiders’ 26-16 victory. The gesture was enough for Lynch to get his first bill of fine since coming out of retirement. But knowing the player’s personality, this won’t be the last time he gets penalized by the league.
Aldon Smith’s ordeal
Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie admitted he’s still thinking of outside linebacker aldon smith, who’s serving a one-year suspension for repeatedly violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
In an interview with the Athletic, the executive said he isn’t concerned whether or not Smith can make his NFL return this season. All he wants is to see the linebacker making progress in his recovery.
“Mark Davis and I still talk about him,” McKenzie said for Smith. “We just want to make sure he is doing fine, getting his life on track.
Whether Aldon comes back or not really doesn’t matter at this point. We just want him to be the best Aldon Smith he can be.”
Smith, who remains on the Raiders’ reserve-suspended list, last played in the NFL in November 2015 before he received a one-year suspension for an alleged hit-and-run incident with DUI charges in Santa Clara, California in August of the same year.
He already applied for reinstatement with his one-year suspension coming to an end on Nov. 17, but his case has remained under review by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Sanders sees parallels with Crabtree
Pro-Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders said Michael Crabtree’s game reminds him of his younger self as a high-impact player with laid-back personality. “He’s kind of subtle. He definitely reminds me of myself unless we’re really putting on for the media. Now, he does dress the part. The way he dresses is his personality. But he is sort of reluctant when it comes to conversation or in a situation that he’s not accustomed to when he doesn’t know all the participants,” said Crabtree, who also shared his friendship with the Raiders running back in an interview with the Mercury News.
