Marshawn Lynch had simple message for Mike Macdonald ahead of Super Bowl beatdown

Mike Macdonald didn't expect Marshawn Lynch to be there. Yet, just before the Seattle Seahawks played the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, there was the great running back on the field. Only the coach didn't see him. He couldn't have.

As Macdonald walked around the field, Lynch was kneeling, holding a camera. One of Lynch's most underrated skills, of which he has many, is being a photographer. He studies the trade, after all, and he was taking some photos before Seattle crushed New England. It made sense for him to be there, but not for Macdonald.

As Macdonald neared Lynch, the coach turned. At that point, the Seahawks legend stood up, put his hand on the coach's shoulder, and said simply, "Go have a day, young fella."

Marshawn Lynch gave Mike Macdonald a laugh before the Seattle Seahawks stomped the Patriots in Super Bowl LX

Macdonald turned, looked at Lynch, who was wearing a hoodie with a covering over his face, and chuckled while saying, "I didn't even see you...Well played."

It was the kind of light-hearted moment that makes the game fun, but also helps one relax. It also showed that some of the best players on some of the best teams in Seattle football history have a connection to the current great team. The Seahawks aren't the organization they are without players like Lynch and coaches like Macdonald. The common bond is not lost on either.

What wouldn't have been said is that the Seahawks blowing out the Patriots was a slight bit of redemption for what happened at the end of Super Bowl XLIX when Seattle chose to throw the ball instead of handing the ball to Lynch at the 1-yard line on second down. Nothing will ever change that pain, but it was soothed by what happened in Super Bowl LX.

While it is the same organization, the players and coaches are different. One of the few through-lines is general manager John Schneider. The players who were involved in that loss 11 years ago (Lynch, Richard Sherman, and others) had to be smiling by the end of the most recent Super Bowl.

Does Mike Macdonald take some satisfaction that in his second season with the Seattle Seahawks, the team was able to defeat the franchise that last beat Seattle in the Super Bowl just a little over a decade ago? Maybe. Maybe not. But almost certainly, the coach would be happy that his team gave Marshawn Lynch so much joy.