The Seattle Seahawks are not having the ideal season after falling short in last year's Super Bowl. Expecting much more, the 4-5 record is a disappointment and could force offseason changes if things do not improve. One of the biggest question marks this year has been Marshawn Lynch who continues to deal with injuries hurting his production on the field. With another issue keeping him out of practice and potentially Week 11, could the running back be headed out of Seattle in 2016?
According to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com, Lynch was not at practice on Thursday as he deals with an abdominal injury. Lynch has been hit hard with injuries this year and this just another line on the list. With his status questionable against the San Francisco 49ers, head coach Pete Carroll is hopeful the running back is active considering he put up 122 yards and a touchdown the first time the two teams met.
"It's really day to day," Carroll said, via the team website. "He's getting work done, he's really getting a ton of treatment all day, every day, and so we're not quite sure. He feels like he can play, though, and he's the best indicator of this. He does feel like he's going to be able to play."
Lynch's future is up in the air. Set to be 30, the running back is owed $11.5 million next year. His numbers are low this year and his age is not helping along with injuries. According to Greg Bishop of the MMQB.com, the Seahawks will have to seriously consider what to do with the running back. Now, Seattle's offensive line is certainly not helping his production, but the injuries might be the bigger issue. Giving that amount of money to a running back is not ideal for a team that needs to rebuild their offensive line and bring back defensive players.
For the short-term, the Seahawks are simply hoping Lynch gets on the field. If for some reason he is not healthy enough, Thomas Rawls will get the starting nod for the team. The Seahawks have confidence in Rawls, but is it enough to make him the future running back of the franchise? After letting go of Christine Michael and Robert Turbin, it might be.
The Seahawks are more focused on getting improvements to beat the 49ers and not the focus of Lynch. Jimmy Graham has been struggling with drops while the wide receiver play has been inconsistent. While those are all factors into the team's struggles, most of the criticism is falling on Russell Wilson. After signing a four-year, $87.6 million contract extension, Wilson is not putting together the season everyone was expecting him to. The quarterback has not lost his confidence, confident a turnaround is coming for the Seahawks.
"I think that we're so close," Wilson said, via ESPN.com. "The biggest thing is that's where I kind of look at it all and review everything, and not stretch for answers. A lot of people want to stretch for answers and try to figure out what's wrong or whatever. At the end of the day it comes down to us just scoring more touchdowns and finding a way to do that."