Could Marshawn Lynch be returning to practice this week?
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll addressed the media Monday afternoon at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, and he indicated Seattle’s star running back, who’s missed the past six games because of an abdominal injury that required surgery, could be back on the practice field Wednesday if everything goes well the next two days.
“He’s got a big day today and a big day tomorrow working out and we’ll see how that goes,” Carroll said. “From what I understand he has a chance, if those days go back-to-back and he does well, that he might be in here for Wednesday. We’ll see.”
Lynch played through abdominal pain in Seattle’s 39-32 loss to Arizona in Week 10. He was then held out after being a game-time decision the following week against San Francisco, and he underwent surgery in Philadelphia the following Wednesday.
Since then Lynch has been “off site” and away from the team, reportedly undergoing rehab on his own with mixed martial arts trainers in San Francisco. Carroll said the team does not have a representative monitoring Lynch’s progress, but that the team is getting updates from the trainers.
“We’re pretty much relying on the reports that they’re giving us,” Carroll admitted. “Those guys know him really well and they’re the ones who the last few years have really done great work with Marshawn. We’re trusting that they’re looking seriously at the preparation level, his endurance and all of those things to give us an good indication that we can move forward.”
Carroll has been vague in recent weeks about when or if Lynch would be able to return at some point this season. Monday was the first time Carroll gave any kind of specific time for when Lynch may return to practice.
If Lynch does return to the team Wednesday, it does not necessarily mean he’ll jump straight into the lineup for Sunday’s season finale at Arizona.
“It depends,” Carroll said. “We have to see him playing football and see if everything translates. He’s always come back in really good shape and he’s been fast and strong and had his endurance and stuff like that. We’re kind of hoping that’s the same when the time comes.”
For the most part, Seattle’s running game has not suffered in Lynch’s absence, particularly when Thomas Rawls was filling in. However, Rawls suffered a season-ending ankle injury of his own two weeks ago at Baltimore. The running-back-by-committee led by Christine Michael and Bryce Brown helped the Seahawks gain 182 yards last week in a 30-13 victory over Cleveland. However, Michael and Brown couldn’t get going in Sunday’s 23-17 loss to St. Louis, combining for just 15 yards on 13 carries.
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