The Seattle Seahawks have declared running back Marshawn Lynch out for their Wild Card round playoff matchup Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, the team announced.
Lynch was listed as questionable on the team's injury report Friday, but apparently didn't board the team bus to go to the airport. He was later downgraded to out for Sunday's playoff matchup.
The Seahawks running back has not played since November 15th following abdominal surgery on November 25th. He was rehabbing in San Francisco before showing up at the Seahawks' facility on Monday.
Coach Pete Carroll had sounded confident in the days leading up to Friday on Lynch's status saying "he's going to play" on his weekly chat on KIRO 97.3 FM in Seattle. Following practice however, Carroll softened a bit on the status of his starting running back.
"We've got to go tomorrow, make sure that he's OK after today, that same old thing," Carroll said. "He looked good during the week and did some really good stuff, so we'll just use all of the time that we have available. I have not said yet that he's playing, I know that's been out there, but I don't know really until we finish the week. He's looked really good, and we're hoping, so very optimistic about that."
Lynch had practiced fully all three days this week and the expectation was that he was going to play. The Seahawks later released a statement with the official news.
"We have downgraded RB Marshawn Lynch to out. He did not travel with the team. Following our final workout Friday he felt like he couldn't play."
Now, the Seahawks will turn to Christine Michael who has gotten the start ever since the injury to Thomas Rawls in Baltimore in Week 14. Along with Michael will be Bryce Brown, who has been on and off the team a few times this season, but with the injury troubles at running back, he finds himself in a complimentary role to go along with third down back, Fred Jackson.
A week ago in the season finale at Arizona, Michael rushed for 102 yards on 17 carries to lead the Seahawks in rushing, while Brown had 20 yards on nine carries and a touchdown.