Silence costs Marshawn Lynch $50K

— -- The NFL handed down one of its stiffest fines of the season to Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch last week -- for not talking.

According to a Seahawks source, the league fined Lynch $50,000 for not speaking to the media throughout this season until Friday, when he briefly met with and spoke to reporters.

But that conversation came too late for the taste of the NFL, which requires that its players talk to the media.

Until this past week, the NFL had been unaware that Lynch had not spoken all season.

Lynch led Seattle with 1,257 rushing yards in his seventh season. He added a career-high 316 receiving yards with 12 rushing touchdowns and two through the air.

As the NFC's top team, the Seahawks (13-3) were off this weekend. They'll host New Orleans on Saturday after the Saints advanced with a last-play, 26-24 win over the  Philadelphia Eagles.