The Facts: The Seahawks entered the year viewing it as Lynch's final season in Seattle. Into November that sentiment didn't change. However, we finally have our twist. Ian Rapoport reported on NFL Network's NFL GameDay Morning that the Seattle brass is now more than open to the possibility of bringing Lynch back at a salary of $5 million a year. "... Mainly because he actually has outperformed his contract and clearly established himself as the identity of this team," Rapoport said. "Basically, they don't have a choice based on the way he plays to bring him back."

Diehards Line:Hard to argue the point. Lynch accounted for 26.8 percent of the Seahawks' scrimmage yards this season (fifth-highest percent in NFL) and 39.0 percent of the offensive touches. (317 of 812 total). As NFL.com suggested, we should give John Schneider and Pete Carroll credit for recognizing that fact and planning to make things work, even if it messes with their prearranged payroll structure. Of course, the Seahawks' willingness and/or desire to have Lynch return doesn't mean he will. "The other thing is they could win the Super Bowl, and Lynch has told people privately, if they do, there's a good possibility he simply walks into the sunset, probably knowing Lynch, without uttering a word," Rapoport said. ... Stay tuned.