Marshawn Lynch ruled OUT for Sunday’s playoff game
By Keith Myers
The Seattle Seahawks will play Sunday’s playoff game without star running back Marshawn Lynch.
This is the news that we were hoping not to see. The Seattle Seahawks have officially downgraded Marshawn Lynch to “out” for Sunday’s playoff game.
Lynch fully practiced all week, and was listed as questionable on the Friday injury report. Lynch was expected to play, and get the majority of the carries for Seattle’s offense.
Instead, he told Pete Carroll late Friday that he didn’t feel like he was ready to play yet. The team left Lynch in Seattle, and travelled to Minnesota without him.
The #Seahawks officially ruled Marshawn Lynch OUT for the game. He told the team he felt like he couldn't do it. Stunner.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 9, 2016
Christine Michael will get the start in Lynch’s place. Michael has been “the guy” since returning to Seattle three weeks ago, and that will continue in the playoffs until Lynch is ready to go.
Luckily for Seattle, Michael has been phenomenal since returning. He’s had three teams give up on him this season (Seattle, Dallas, and then Washington). He’s been humbled, and now appears to have figured out what it takes to turn his amazing athletic potential into on-field production.
For Lynch, this is just the latest turn in what has been an interesting and very odd saga. From the indecision on if he’d have surgery, to him being missing for a while during rehab, to his decision to rehab in Oakland instead of with the team; this has not been a typical injury story for the Seahawks.
If Seattle loses on Sunday, it is now quite probable that Beast Mode has played his last game for the Seahawks.
For Michael, this is a great opportunity. If he performs on Sunday like he has the last couple of weeks, Michael and pencil himself back onto Seattle’s roster for next season.