Beast Mode is back. The Seattle Seahawks signed 33-year-old running back Marshawn Lynch out of retirement on Tuesday, according to his agent, Doug Hendrickson. 

In a remarkable plot twist, Marshawn Lynch returned to the Seahawks after the team lost multiple running backs to injuries in Week 16 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Lynch is the author of the “Beast Quake” run in January of 2011, an astounding play in a wild card win over the New Orleans Saints which marked the first iconic moment in the Pete Carroll era of Seahawks history. Lynch is returning to the franchise he helped guide to a Super Bowl title and two NFC championships.

Seahawks beat writer Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times offered a hilarious reaction earlier on Monday, when Lynch was nearing a deal but hadn't officially signed with the team:

The arrival of Lynch comes after the Seahawks brought back yet another former running back, Robert Turbin, earlier on Monday. These two signings were the result of a disastrous loss to the Cardinals, which — combined with the Green Bay Packers' win over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night — made it extremely likely that Seattle will not get a wild card bye in the NFC Playoffs.

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The Seahawks, playing this Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers, will know what the Packers did earlier on Dec. 29 against the Detroit Lions. If the Packers beat the Lions on Sunday afternoon, the Seahawks will know they can't get a bye by beating the Niners.

This lowers the stakes for the Sunday night game versus San Francisco, but it also means Lynch and Turbin will have a low-pressure week to blend into the lineup before a wild card game in Philadelphia, Dallas, or at home in Seattle if the Seahawks upset the 49ers.

The Seahawks have shored up their running back room, but they will move forward knowing that offensive lineman Duane Brown is out for the season with an injury. How the Seahawks use Lynch and Turbin in the passing game, perhaps with screens to slow down opposing pass rushes, might become one of the more interesting tactical aspects of their playoff journey in January.