Marshawn Lynch last played in an NFL game on Oct. 14, 2018. He carried the ball 13 times for 45 yards in a Raiders loss against none other than the Seattle Seahawks.
The 33-year-old Oakland native surprisingly signed with the Seahawks on Monday, six days before Seattle's showdown against the 49ers, with the NFC West title on the line. As the Seahawks are dealing with a plethora of injuries to their running backs, it sounds like Beast Mode could get around the same amount of carries Sunday as when we last saw him on a field over a year ago.
NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Lynch is expected to receive 10 to 15 carries against the 49ers.
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"He actually looked really good in practice and reminded those who knew him well how good he is, how instinctual he is at things like blitz pickup and how much they can rely on him," Rapoport said on NFL Network.
Rapoport also said the Seahawks expect to use Lynch in key situations, especially on the goal line. He is one of the hardest runner in NFL history and still should be a force in short-yardage, even with his long absence from football.
The 49ers certainly won't take Lynch's return for granted. They have a long history with the powerful back, and know Seahawks fans will go nuts every time he touches the ball.
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“I know Marshawn will come in, and he’ll be ready, regardless of how much time he’s had off," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday to the media. "Marshawn is a competitor. He’s a battler. So it was smart of them.”
In 11 career games against the 49ers, Lynch has 1,004 career rushing yards -- his most against any opponent. He's an all-time great and must be accounted for as San Francisco seeks its first division title since 2012.
