Marshawn Lynch does not like talking to the media, so naturally, he didn’t say much when announcing his apparent retirement during the Super Bowl — on Twitter, no less.

During the fourth quarter of the big game on Sunday, the Seahawks running back dominated the social media streams online after posting a cryptic tweet with a peace-sign emoji and a photo of cleats hanging from wires.

https://twitter.com/MoneyLynch/status/696525541826924546/photo/1

Is Lynch, who turns 30 in April and fought injuries all season, “hanging it up”? That’s what it seems like.

Earlier reports on Sunday indicated that Lynch, who leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns since 2011, was leaning toward a retirement. Lynch played a career-low seven games this year.

It’s worth noting that Lynch used Twitter to announce his retirement. NBA star Kobe Bryant did the same in November; however, he linked to a personal post on The Players Tribune that fully explained his decision.

Using social media is a departure from the traditional press conference that athletes organize to let the world know that they are “hanging up the cleats.”

For as much as Twitter is struggling to attract more users, it’s worth at least something when your platform enables athletes to announce such news.

Some reactions after Lynch’s tweet, including from his teammates, Seahawks owner Paul Allen, and his sponsor, Skittles:

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.