The Seattle Seahawks breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing former running back Marshawn Lynch will return to the team after a miserable Week 16, which left two running backs on the injury report. Lynch understands the importance of his return to Seattle, telling The Athletic's Mike Dugar he has “unfinished business” with the Seahawks.
In Week 16, running back Chris Carson suffered a fractured hip that will keep him out the rest of the season, and C.J. Prosise suffered a broken arm that will also cost him the season. The Seahawks were already without running back Rashaad Penny who tore his ACL in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Lynch spent six seasons with the Seahawks, rushing for 6,347 yards and 57 touchdowns. Some of Lynch's best career moments come in the playoffs, with his famous “Beast Quake” run in the 2010 Wild Card against the New Orleans Saints.
On the other side of that, Seattle is infamously known for not running the football at the goal line against the New England Patriots that resulted in an interception by Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler that won Super Bowl XLIX.
Lynch, 33, has been out of the league for one season, spending 2018 with the Oakland Raiders. That year, Lynch rushed for 376 yards and three touchdown on 90 carries.
While Seattle now has a running back to hand the ball off to, will it be sustainable for the playoffs? With Lynch's age and coming off a year of retirement, Seattle's run game will be hard to establish and the team will rely more on quarterback Russell Wilson and the passing game.
For fans of the NFL, having Lynch back will be a treat to watch.