Kingmakers and Marshawn Lynch Partner for New Beast Mode Cigar

For years, the phrase “beast mode” took over the world of pro football, as Marshawn Lynch adopted it as his slogan for how he played on the field. Now, the name is coming to the world of cigars, as Lynch has teamed up with Kingmakers Cigars for a new regular production line called Beast Mode by Kingmakers, which will make its debut tonight at a charity event at Eight Cigar Lounge inside Resorts World Las Vegas ahead of its full release at the end of the year.

The blend uses an Ecuadorian habano 2000 wrapper and a criollo hybrid binder from Nicaragua’s Estelí region, with a Nicaraguan-grown filler that contains viso and seco from Jalapa, as well as ligero from Estelí. The blend was developed by Lynch along with Claudio Torres of Kingmakers Cigars and Byron Sheng of Beast Mode, the lifestyle brand started by Lynch. Lynch spent 12 seasons in the NFL, playing for the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, and Oakland Raiders. He won a Super Bowl title with the Seahawks in 2014, and was named to five Pro Bowl teams over his career.

“Bringing a cigar to market isn’t easy,” said Lynch in a press release. “I’ve kicked back in lounges around the globe talking with folks from all parts of the industry, owners, the cats working in the humidors, factories, and of course other cigar smokers. The goal was to make a blend that I’d reach for myself… something that meets the mark of the Beast Mode name but also all the hands and people in the fields, rolling, testing, boxing, banding and shipping cuz it’s not just my name, everyone who put their time into this is represented. When I light my cigar and hopefully when you get your flame out and slow down to get right, you’ll see what I’m talkin’ bout.”

The cigars are priced at $130 for a box of 10 cigars, and are currently available for pre-order on Kingmakers’ website, with shipping scheduled to begin in December. After pre-orders ship, the cigars will be released to retailers.

While the cigars will debut tonight, they will not be on sale; they are premiering at a benefit and launch event with Lynch’s Fam1st Foundation, where guests will receive the cigars. Plans for more sizes are in the works, but the company is not disclosing just what they might be yet.

This marks the latest in a series of cigars that Kingmakers has produced in partnership with pro athletes, including Carmelo Anthony and Kelsey Plum. The company has also worked with Playboy, JJ Julius Son of the band KALEO, and the country band Midland.

Update (Oct. 2, 2026) — Shortly after this article was published, additional information about the blend, factory, production, and release plans was added to this story.

Images courtesy of Kingmakers Cigars.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the G-League’s Valley Suns. I was previously the PA announcer for the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League, and Goodyear Ballpark, spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I’m a voiceover artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.