Marshawn Lynch's Reconciliation with Seahawks a Credit to Pete Carroll

At one point, Marshawn Lynch burned bridges on his way out of Seattle, retiring and then forcing a trade to Oakland. But a few years later, he's eager to return to the Seahawks again, and the credit belongs to Pete Carroll for the culture he's implemented.

When the Seahawks announced they were signing Marshawn Lynch last December to help replace Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, both of whom suffered serious season-ending injuries, most fans were excited. So excited, in fact, they skipped over an equally natural emotion: confusion.

Now, time has a way of healing wounds, but Lynch wasn't exactly a model citizen with regards to how he treated the authority of the franchise. Who could forget the times (yes, it happened multiple times) he flipped off then-offensive coordinator Darrell Befell for not giving him the ball inside the five-yard line?

Remember his hold out? Or his total disinterest in practicing just because he didn't feel like it? And of course, who could forget one of his last moments as a Seahawk when he was rumored to have refused to participate in the Wild Card playoff game against the Vikings in 2016?

Yes, Lynch is an incredible talent and the best running back in franchise history. But he was never hassle-free either. He decided to retire rather than play for Seattle, eventually coaxing his way to Oakland.

Now to his credit, Lynch was never as critical of his teammates as some anonymous Seahawks (aka Richard Sherman), but that doesn't overshadow some serious problems.

But one thing Lynch never had to deal with was being publicly called out by coach Pete Carroll. In fact, Carroll went out of his way to praise Lynch and empower him in a locker room of alphas, even when Lynch broke cardinal rules.

The results of Carroll's constant "fatherly love" with his players has facilitated the healing of a once fractured relationship. Carroll never burns bridges with his players, even when being publicly called out by Sherman, flipped off by Earl Thomas on a medical cart, and largely ignored by Michael Bennett. Instead, Carroll keeps "loving on his guys".

And as a result, Lynch is reportedly itching to play for Seattle again and even Bennett has stated publicly that he'd like to play for Carroll's Seahawks again.

These kinds of interactions showcase one of the most important but vastly overlooked one of the key tenants in building a sustainable winner in the NFL: culture. There are no stats to encapsulate culture, so we tend to ignore it. But getting a room of 53 grown men to move in one direction is difficult and Carroll does it as well as anybody.

While many of his cohorts use fear, intimidation, and threats, Carroll's approach of self-expression, genuine dialogue, and maintaining healthy relationships makes him the picture-perfect example of dealing with the pro athlete of 2020. Jadeveon Clowney forced his way to Seattle. Marshawn Lynch wants to be a Seahawk again. Michael Bennett does too. And so did Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa. That means something.

While Seahawks fans constantly ring their hands at Carroll on Sundays - and rightfully so in some cases - they should remember the things he does that everyone takes for granted. Lynch is just the latest example to prove a point that we could all stand to remember: Pete Carroll is really good at his job. And you shouldn't ever forget that.