Report: Fred Jackson crashes car while racing Marshawn Lynch

What’s the deal with Seattle Seahawks running backs these days?

As if this team needed any more off field distractions, today presented them with another one, and the implications of this one could be massive.

TMZ.com is reporting that Fred Jackson smashed his Corvette into a stop sign while, get this, drag racing Marshawn Lynch not far from the team’s practice facility in Renton today after practice.

This appears to be the crash scene…..

This is what appears to be Fred Jackson's car. With a stop sign implanted into the nose. pic.twitter.com/b8a87aMEEV
— Curtis Crabtree (@Curtis_Crabtree) October 21, 2015

The report states that according to witnesses, other team members including Richard Sherman stopped to try and help Jackson out of his car. There is no word yet on whether Jackson suffered any injuries. Apparently, Seahawk staff members whisked Jackson back to the team facility while Lynch drove off.

The implications of this latest incident, coming just one week after fullback Derrick Coleman was involved in a two car accident and charged with fleeing the scene, could have major implications. Why was Lynch willing to be involved in something so clearly stupid, at a crucial time in a disappointing season? In a year during which he’s missed back-to-back games due to injury for the first time as a Seahawk, and with the offense struggling to find his usual production in the running game, could this be a tipping point in the twilight of his career? The Seahawks handed him a massive extension last year which is paying him $12 million in 2015, a huge sum for a back approaching 30. Jackson, his long time friend and former teammate in Buffalo, was brought in as a complimentary piece of the backfield, but also because Lynch lobbied for the move. Now this?

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It’s hard to imagine this incident is one that can easily be swept under the rug. If the Seahawks were willing to immediately suspend Coleman upon his arrest last week, what will they do with these two? It’s possible that Lynch and Jackson could be charged with crimes, as the drag racing laws in King County have been strengthened considerably in recent years. Could this possibly lead to the Seahawks choosing to cut ties with Lynch? After all, the offense has been lacking an identity this season, Lynch is clearly in the final stretch of his career, the team is 2-4 and their best rushing performance of the year came from undrafted rookie Thomas Rawls.

At the very least, it causes a short-term problem. Does the team have to suspend him now, with a game only two days away? This seems, at first glance, like the kind of thing that may take awhile to shake out.

His distractions have always been a matter of cost/benefit. The production he’s given the team on the field has far outweighed some of his off field antics. This may be beyond any of that. Assuming (and hopeful) that he isn’t significantly hurt, Jackson may be the one who suffered some cuts and bruises today, but the damage to Marshawn Lynch’s Seahawk career may be the real victim here.

UPDATE: It’s important to note that these things sometimes take time to sort out, and in fact Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril just tweeted this….

RT @ProFootballTalk Fred Jackson wrecks car in reported drag race with Marshawn Lynch https://t.co/GzifYz39ZL ➠ that's a LIE...
— Cliff Avril (@cliffavril) October 21, 2015

Seahawk fans have to be hopeful this is true. Stay tuned…. we will try to update this story as more details come out.

Next: Time to let Tom Cable call the plays?

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