Marshawn Lynch may or may not play Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks visit the Minnesota Vikings.
Head coach Pete Carroll made it clear he has not committed to starting Lynch.
Carroll: "I have not said yet that (Marshawn Lynch who is questionable) is playing."#SEAvsMIN #NFLPlayoffs
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 8, 2016
He said Lynch is going to be a game time decision, per Liz Mathews of ESPN 710:
Carroll is hoping that RB Marshawn Lynch, who is listed as questionable for Sunday, will play. Said will take it to game time to be safe.
— Liz (@Liz_Mathews) January 8, 2016
The running back is returning from an abdomen injury that required surgery. He had the surgery in late November and just started practicing with the team this week following the end of the regular season.
However, nobody should think for a second that Carroll is going to hold Lynch out of Sunday’s game. All reports coming out of practice indicate he’s ready to rock and roll.
And you have to know Mike Zimmer is preparing his defense to face Lynch, who has been one of the most memorable playoff running backs in recent history.
Perhaps the only thing that could potentially cause Carroll to opt against using Lynch this Sunday is the weather. It’s supposed to be below zero when the game kicks off Sunday at 12:05 local time and could never reach single digits.