Pete Carroll: Lynch 'unique, special'

— -- Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Monday that his relationship with Marshawn Lynch is a work in progress and that he believes that any issues between the team and its star running back stem from contract drama during training camp.

Carroll, talking Monday   on 710 ESPN Seattle, made his comments after Lynch had told NFL.com in a telephone interview that he was unsure of his future with the team beyond this season.

"We're working through it," Carroll said when he was asked on "Brock and Salk" about the status of his relationship with Lynch. "Marshawn is a very private person and we've all learned that and we've respected that about him for years. I've respected the heck out of that when we got to the Super Bowl last year and everyone was clamoring and all that.

"He's a very unique, special person. I think there continues to be some questioning about this. He's doing great. He's busting his tail. I've told you and reported about how it's so obvious he came back so determined to be good and be on it. He's done a tremendous job and he's played great football. I don't think he's ever played better."

Lynch faced a possible six-figure fine for not talking to reporters in the locker room after the Seahawks' 24-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, in which he rushed for 124 yards. He later talked to NFL.com in a telephone interview from the team's bus, however.

The running back also chose to stay on the bench during halftime, rather than go to the locker room with the rest of his teammates. He told NFL Network that he stayed behind due to fatigue and Carroll on Monday backed the running back, who he described as "banged up."

"He felt like getting stretched out, staying there was the best thing for him at halftime. We're trying to listen to him listen to his body and we're going to try to go with that as much as we can," Carroll said. "He's been stellar in his ability to get back, fight back, get through it. The way he's running, the style that he hits it with, he's going to take a lot of punishment and you got to respect the heck out of that and he continues to do that and he had another excellent football game."

Lynch isn't expected to be with the Seahawks in 2015, sources have told ESPN's Chris Mortensen and other media outlets. Asked if he thought he'll be back in Seattle next season, Lynch told NFL.com he wasn't sure but said all the talk is coming from the organization and not himself.

Carroll theorized that any perceived strain between the team and Lynch points back to last summer's contract dispute where the running back held out at the beginning of training camp. Lynch ended his eight-day holdout after the club made concessions by bumping his 2015 salary from $5 million to $6.5 million.

"There were some conversations that not everything works out exactly the way you want it," Carroll said of the contract dispute, adding "we'll do everything we can to keep our guys with us."

He said Lynch "deserved" and "earned" the four-year, $31 million extension he signed in 2012 but "years later in the contract you look at it and it's not quite the same deal."

"I think we had plenty of conversations about that in the summertime and he made his decision to stay out and we respected that, too. We had no problem with that. As we're moving forward, he's given us everything he's got. And we're working through it and that's the way that is right now," Carroll said.

Lynch will be 29 at the start of next season. Carroll was asked about the longevity of running backs in today's NFL and said how much longer the running back plays will ultimately be up to him.

"How long he wants to play, that's up to him. How far is he going to take it? That's a question that's going to come back to Marshawn," Carroll said.