The Seattle Seahawks will not have Marshawn Lynch back for Week 17, but the team is hoping that the running back can return for the playoffs. The team will continue to use a rotation of Christine Michael, Bryce Brown and Fred Jackson for Russell Wilson as Seattle waits to see who they will matchup with in the playoffs.
Lynch has been out following abdominal surgery and the running back has the chance to return for the playoffs for the Seahawks. Earlier in the week head coach Pete Carroll said that Lynch potentially could play in Week 17 if he was able to practice, but the running back was not able to get on the practice field. Lynch has been ruled out for the game on Sunday, but Carroll said that Lynch is "day to day" and is continuing to rehab from surgery.
According to ESPN.com, Carroll said that he thinks Lynch can make it back for the playoffs and that he has been making progress in his recovery. Lynch still does not have a concrete timetable to return, but the Seahawks can help him out by winning their first playoff game if he needs another week to recover from surgery. Lynch has been out for the back stretch of the season and the Seahawks have also lost Thomas Rawls to an injury and the team is hoping that Lynch can recover in time for the postseason.
Carroll was hoping Lynch could give it a go this week, but Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports that Carroll said that Lynch is "not quite over the hump" and is still dealing with some "discomfort" after surgery. The Seahawks are locked into the wild card round, but the team will not know who they will play in the playoffs until the Week 17 schedule is over. The team has to wait and see the result of the Green Bay Packers and Vikings game on Sunday to see whether they will play against the Packers or the Redskins in the first round of the postseason.